Bob Baltzell
Independence
To the editor:
I have been a Medicare Advantage plan member for the past couple of years, and I recently received the 2010 annual notice of coverage from my provider. Here is a partial list of the in-network co-pay cost increases for this plan in 2010:
• Inpatient hospital care – 43 percent.
• Doctor visit – 500 percent.
• Routine physical exam – 500 percent.
• Chiropractic – 33 percent.
• Podiatry – 33 percent.
• Outpatient mental care – 33 percent.
• Outpatient rehabilitation – 33 percent.
• Outpatient surgery – 33 percent.
• CAT, PET and MRI scans – 166 percent.
• Prescription drugs, average all tiers – 42 percent.
In addition, the coverage is being dropped entirely for eyewear, hearing aids, preventive dental service and routine exams for eyes and hearing. Coverage for generic drugs in the gap (doughnut hole) is being eliminated. The maximum out-of-pocket amount goes from $2450 to $8500, an increase of 247 percent.
These cost increases are the result of the various congressional bills that all propose to cut the funding for Medicare, specifically the Advantage plans, to finance these bills. The 11 million Advantage plan members are going to pay a large portion of the bill for the so-called health reform.
One bright spot however is that in 2010 the co-pay for in patient mental health is being reduced by 2.5 percent. Perhaps this is to ease the burden of driving us crazy with these out-of-pocket increases that will see our health care costs skyrocket.
