Hi,

Senator Bernie Sanders will take the helm of the Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee next month. Already, Politico reports,
healthcare lobbyists are voicing concerns they’ll have a harder time
swaying policy in the new Congress with Bernie at the helm of HELP.^1

With a stalwart defender of affordable healthcare for ALL steering the
Senate HELP committee, now is the perfect time to finally do away with
Medicare Advantage — the private insurance option within Medicare. A
recent New York Times report found that 9 of the top 10 private insurance
companies offering Medicare Advantage plans have overbilled Medicare
between $12 and $25 billion, taking money away from patients who really
need resources.^2 In order to protect Medicare, we must get private
insurance companies OUT of Medicare.

[ [link removed] ]Sign our petition: Congress must pass legislation to ban private
insurance companies administering Medicare!

ADD YOUR NAME

The New York Times report uncovered that private insurers are draining
resources from Medicare and threatening one of our greatest public health
insurance programs. 6 of the top 10 private insurers who administer
Medicare Advantage plans have been accused of Medicare fraud by the U.S.
government and whistleblowers.^3 Many experts and advocates are urging
people against choosing Advantage plans.^2

Congress created Medicare Advantage 20 years ago to create a private
alternative to traditional Medicare in order to provide better care at
lower costs.^2 Instead, costs have gone up and private insurance companies
have siphoned billions from Medicare.

The corporate greed is disgusting. The New York Times reports that giant
private insurers, “have developed elaborate systems to make their patients
appear as sick as possible, often without providing additional treatment”
so the insurers could charge those patients more for their Medicare
plans.^2

The American people clearly want government protection from private
insurers’ abuses. So why are private insurers allowed to continue
overbilling in Medicare Advantage—costing patients, the government, and
taxpayers?

As of next year, more than half of all Medicare recipients may be using
Medicare Advantage plans through private insurers.^2 Private insurance
companies are wasting taxpayer dollars, threatening the integrity of
Medicare, and putting patients’ health at risk. We can’t let big
corporations continue to suck away money from Medicare.

[ [link removed] ]Sign our petition to protect Medicare and demand an end to private
insurers’ interference in Medicare.

Thanks for taking action,

Izzi and the team at Demand Progress

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:

 1. Politico, “‘Not business as usual’: Health lobbyists brace for Bernie
Sanders,” [ [link removed] ]January 3, 2023.
 2. New York Times, “‘The Cash Monster Was Insatiable’: How Insurers
Exploited Medicare for Billions,” [ [link removed] ]October 8, 2022.
 3. Business Insider, “Popular Medicare Advantage plans have 'clear cases
of overpayments and improper billing of US taxpayers,' advocates and
analysts say,” [ [link removed] ]December 5, 2022.
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