Letter: Benton, Franklin counties not offering Medicare Advantage plans?

I would like to make sure residents of Benton and Franklin counties are aware that disabled persons collecting Social Security Disability (those who worked for a living, paid Social Security taxes) are being denied the ability to purchase Medicare Advantage plans. These are insurance plans that provide management of Medicare, benefits above Medicare and prescription insurance. 2017 is the first year they are not offered, and Benton and Franklin counties are the only two in the state not offering such plans.

Now if you’ve never worked or worked very little, you can get Medicaid to go along with your Medicare. Those of us middle-class citizens who supported ourselves and our families, then had a catastrophic medical disaster, fall in a gap! $100/200 a month too much income for Medicaid assistance. Yet doctor, hospital and laboratory bills cause us to live worse than those on government assistance. Can someone explain? At least in prior years and in the other counties throughout the state, Advantage Plans take away some of the burden.

This year I am paying $11 more for prescription insurance than prior years for an Advantage Plan. So what’s up?

This story was originally published March 12, 2017 at 4:34 AM with the headline "Letter: Benton, Franklin counties not offering Medicare Advantage plans?."