'Our Best Interests'

Editor:

Thank you for printing Patty Harvey’s opinion piece, “California Says No to Privatizing Medicare” (Sept. 21). Each year, seniors are given the opportunity to change their Medicare plans during the Annual Election Period (AEP), this year Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Navigating all of the options can be overwhelming and it’s not because all seniors are feeble-minded.

Last year, Humboldt County was a target market for Medicare Advantage sales. There were 25 “events” scheduled and heavy saturation on TV and local online advertising to lure seniors into this for-profit coverage that will soon bankrupt our Medicare Trust Fund. Medicare Advantage is private insurance, as described in Harvey’s article. Using the name “Medicare” is deceptive marketing that makes the process confusing. I attended one of these “events” last year and learned that the dental care promised is not available in Humboldt and the vision coverage is limited to $100 every two years. There were other gaps in the plans that I asked about but the presenter did not know the answers and got hostile with me for asking.

My biggest fear is that my children and grandchildren, like us, pay into Medicare their entire working lives believing they will have healthcare when they retire. Once the trust fund is depleted, what options for health care will they have if they’re not among the wealthy?

Our wonderful program, traditional Medicare, that serves so many, is on track to only serve investors. Is that really in our best interests as a nation?

Eileen McGee, Eureka