Patients Ask Biden To Save Them From Medicare Advantage

Patients on Medicare Advantage spoke out against the privatized plans this week as part of a coordinated campaign to shed light on the program's care denials, treatment delays, and overbilling—and to pressure U.S. President Joe Biden to rein in the insurance giants raking in huge profits from such abuses.

"These corporations do nothing to increase positive outcomes in medical care. So don't fall for their bullshit," Jenn Coffey, a retired EMT from New Hampshire, said during a livestream hosted by People's Action on Wednesday night.

The stream featured testimony from several patients who have experienced the kinds of delays and denials for which Medicare Advantage is notorious.

Rick Timmins of Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action said it took five months and "multiple calls and emails" for his insurance company to approve his referral to a dermatologist for a suspicious lump on his earlobe that turned out to be malignant melanoma. The delay stemmed from a byzantine process known as prior authorization, whereby doctors are required to prove a treatment is necessary before an insurer will cover it.

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