Today: Florida Seniors Fight Back at Palm Beach Protest
Today at 12 noon, The Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA) is holding a rally and press conference in front of the Humana office in West Palm Beach. FLARA, seniors and allies will denounce Humana’s recent mailings to Medicare Advantage recipients that contained outright lies and were intended to scare seniors about health insurance reform. FLARA will also deliver an open letter to Humana, Inc.
Humana made national news last week when it was sanctioned by the federal government for falsely warning seniors that health insurance reform would cut their health care benefits. Currently the federal government pays private insurance companies like Humana, on average, 14% more for providing coverage to Medicare Advantage clients than it would to pay for the same care under traditional Medicare. Humana profits from wasteful overpayments to Medicare Advantage programs and wants to keep it that way.
Tony Fransetta, President of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, said, "What Humana is doing is unconscionable. Although payments to Humana under Medicare Advantage have increased drastically in the last several years, benefits and services for seniors have not. Now, to add insult to injury, Humana has mailed to its Medicare Advantage recipients false information about health insurance reform. Now is our chance to cut wasteful overpayments to the big insurance companies. This will be good for Medicare, it will be good for seniors and ultimately good for all Americans."