If Trump and RFK Jr. want to crack down on deceptive health care ads, they should start with the avalanche of misleading Medicare Advantage commercials blanketing seniors every fall.
Until they take the drug ads off TV, if they ever do, I will continue to mute the sound. MA needs to be forced to stop using "Medicare" as a selling point. "Senior Abuse Plans" would be a better descriptor.
Seriously? They hired muppet Oz and crew to "privatize" the shit out of Medicare. And Nutlick loves the idea. And they're gutting consumer protections. Bobby won't be restricting what pharma companies do - beyond his demented vaccine obsession.
He can babble and be the figurehead for destruction, and rally the cultists, but no way those ads are going away. And "deceptive" ads? What would that even mean to supplement slingers?
I havent read the EO, but how much more "transparent" about side effects can they be than those laundry lists they rattle off in every ad? Presently, any sort of claim in a prescription drug ad has to originate in FDA-approved labeling. The supplement slingers in the regime will LOOSEN up those regulations, if anything. And they're REGULATIONS. They don't just go away - I hope.
Yes, Medicare Advantage does deceptive advertising. Yes, I saw the 650,000 tally of ads in 2022. I have long wondered if someone could get an estimate of the average price of those ads, so we could ballpark how many BILLIONS of dollars that advertising costs. I did not know, until this year, that MA advantage can kick people out of its plan, which I believe was an issue raised when United Healthcare's stock price fell and the company got rid of its high spenders. I didn't think that was legal.
But one thing nobody ever talks about...you mention the billions of dollars the MA companies spend on advertising....but who are the happy RECIPIENTS of all this largesse? The legacy media companies, of course. Which is why we will never see anything about how bad these ads are on their airwaves or their websites. It's the addiction of the MEDIA COMPANIES to health care MONEY that's the problem. Same as with political ads. The media will never tell us how bad they are, because they are literally RAKING IT IN all day long. The only solution is to prohibit these types of advertising.
Those Advantage ads are much worse than you've described. They are selling those grocery cards as an actual Medicare benefit—blatant false advertising.
Thank you. I've been so sick of this for years. Not to mention how they're always blowing up your telephones trying to sell you these crappy insurance plans.
Totally agree, but RFK Jr is as corrupt as they come in this Administration, and the Senate has no intestinal fortitude to represent constituents — the American taxpayers and patients of these Medicare (Dis) Advantage policies.
Thanks for posting this. I agree that both drug companies and MA plans need to be reigned in. The drug ads basically jam all the adverse events information into the last few seconds and should go back to unbranded commercials. The MA ads are just outright false advertisements. While there are some people who have MA plans and save money, as you say, if they get sick they will be in big trouble. The roadblocks to care that these carriers will create are too numerous to name. Anybody calling out Wendell is misinformed. He used to work for these companies and knows their games. If you defend them, it is merely out of misinformation or lack thereof.
Yes, demand the highest quality healthcare at the lowest cost by eliminating all profit and all unnecessary administrative layers. Eliminate unnecessary advertisements. Traditional Medicare’s administration costs are less than 2%, while MA plans, which are actually publicly funded ( I repeat publicly funded) private for-profit commercial plans, have admin costs of about 18%. Accountable care Organizations (ACOs) and other commercial for-profit health insurance companies can have admin costs as high as 30% due to exorbitant CEO salaries and bonuses, lobbying, advertising and investor profits.
From Offit-land. Your comments, that I've seen - loosely associated one-liners.
You may not want to live forever, but you probably wouldn't appreciate getting jerked around for months when you need your knee replaced. Or not being able to go to your preferred subacute rehabs and PT post-op. Or needing prior authorizations for equipment, services and medications. Having to stay in-network for everything.
Until they take the drug ads off TV, if they ever do, I will continue to mute the sound. MA needs to be forced to stop using "Medicare" as a selling point. "Senior Abuse Plans" would be a better descriptor.
Seriously? They hired muppet Oz and crew to "privatize" the shit out of Medicare. And Nutlick loves the idea. And they're gutting consumer protections. Bobby won't be restricting what pharma companies do - beyond his demented vaccine obsession.
He can babble and be the figurehead for destruction, and rally the cultists, but no way those ads are going away. And "deceptive" ads? What would that even mean to supplement slingers?
I havent read the EO, but how much more "transparent" about side effects can they be than those laundry lists they rattle off in every ad? Presently, any sort of claim in a prescription drug ad has to originate in FDA-approved labeling. The supplement slingers in the regime will LOOSEN up those regulations, if anything. And they're REGULATIONS. They don't just go away - I hope.
Such trumpian nonsense.
Sorry about your Trump derangement syndrome.
I am not afflicted with Trump Dick Sucking disorder. You are. Slurp it.
Yes, Medicare Advantage does deceptive advertising. Yes, I saw the 650,000 tally of ads in 2022. I have long wondered if someone could get an estimate of the average price of those ads, so we could ballpark how many BILLIONS of dollars that advertising costs. I did not know, until this year, that MA advantage can kick people out of its plan, which I believe was an issue raised when United Healthcare's stock price fell and the company got rid of its high spenders. I didn't think that was legal.
But one thing nobody ever talks about...you mention the billions of dollars the MA companies spend on advertising....but who are the happy RECIPIENTS of all this largesse? The legacy media companies, of course. Which is why we will never see anything about how bad these ads are on their airwaves or their websites. It's the addiction of the MEDIA COMPANIES to health care MONEY that's the problem. Same as with political ads. The media will never tell us how bad they are, because they are literally RAKING IT IN all day long. The only solution is to prohibit these types of advertising.
Those Advantage ads are much worse than you've described. They are selling those grocery cards as an actual Medicare benefit—blatant false advertising.
Yes, take off all the drug AND insurance commercials!
That has to be one of the biggest scams to which the government turns a blind eye!
We're about to begin another season for fleecing seniors.
I don't think they're turning a blind eye. I think they're intentionally encouraging the fleecing, because their campaigns get a cut of it.
And please, supplements too!!
Thank you. I've been so sick of this for years. Not to mention how they're always blowing up your telephones trying to sell you these crappy insurance plans.
Agree. Advantage plans are a plan for private equity and companies to make more money
AARP needs to dump UnitedHealth, but then, how will it get money?
stop with the people on the beach add having fun, flying kites and selling a new antibody against the part of body nobody has heard about before
Totally agree, but RFK Jr is as corrupt as they come in this Administration, and the Senate has no intestinal fortitude to represent constituents — the American taxpayers and patients of these Medicare (Dis) Advantage policies.
Wendell
Thanks for posting this. I agree that both drug companies and MA plans need to be reigned in. The drug ads basically jam all the adverse events information into the last few seconds and should go back to unbranded commercials. The MA ads are just outright false advertisements. While there are some people who have MA plans and save money, as you say, if they get sick they will be in big trouble. The roadblocks to care that these carriers will create are too numerous to name. Anybody calling out Wendell is misinformed. He used to work for these companies and knows their games. If you defend them, it is merely out of misinformation or lack thereof.
Yes, demand the highest quality healthcare at the lowest cost by eliminating all profit and all unnecessary administrative layers. Eliminate unnecessary advertisements. Traditional Medicare’s administration costs are less than 2%, while MA plans, which are actually publicly funded ( I repeat publicly funded) private for-profit commercial plans, have admin costs of about 18%. Accountable care Organizations (ACOs) and other commercial for-profit health insurance companies can have admin costs as high as 30% due to exorbitant CEO salaries and bonuses, lobbying, advertising and investor profits.
Medicare for ALL acts are viable solutions
Part C is for-profit private health insurance. IMO part c it is not Medicare nor an advantage to citizens.
Taxpayers give to health insurance industry a hefty sum to the tune of $12,000 or more every year in the name of each person signing on to part c.
I must tell you that I am an extremely satisfied Medicare Advantage customer.
Wait until you get sick and have to fight them.for things.
I’m 70 and not one of these lost souls who wants to live forever.
Just out of curiosity, what prompted your insult?
From Offit-land. Your comments, that I've seen - loosely associated one-liners.
You may not want to live forever, but you probably wouldn't appreciate getting jerked around for months when you need your knee replaced. Or not being able to go to your preferred subacute rehabs and PT post-op. Or needing prior authorizations for equipment, services and medications. Having to stay in-network for everything.
But I'm glad it works for you.
I suppose your screen name says it all.
Do you speak from personal experience as a pt?