subtitled – why we need Health Care Reform and need it very badly

Got my 186 pages of Medicare and my private insurance coverage information  a few weeks ago.  No I did not read it thoroughly and never will.  [Disclaimer – I counted the pages for notes, the unnumbered pages and the covers]

More recently I got the OFFICIAL medicare.gov document – it  for Oregonians as each jurisdiction gets its own version.  Page count = 128 [the feds do count covers in their numbering system.]

What do these 314 pages tell me?

• I really really need new glasses..so made that appointment
• A lot of trees gave their lives for me 🙁
• The proliferation of Medicare Advantage Programs is disgusting
• If you aren't careful you'll get suckered

That last comment came from scanning the most unbelievable company.  This ONE company – and I will not give them air time – ALL ON ITS OWN has 36 options.  Yes 36 different options!  By comparison mine has 3 – "basic" and "costs more" for anyone and "really costs more" for current members wanting to upgrade.   

As others have options for different counties within the state maybe the 36 options have plans for block by block coverage – their descriptions are very vague… and all 36 options have the same phone number to get information – hmm call a sales rep to get truthful clear answers about each of the 36?  Not gonna happen.

Health care reform should make this a more simple choice for those over 65.  The proliferation of plans and options is stupid and leads potentially to misrepresentation or even "honest" error by those who stand to make gobs of money from these choices.

I did not look through the list of prescription drug plans – but add those to the mix and you have a confusing array of options here in Oregon – and elsewhere.

Think of those who are blind or limited in reading capacity – how do they make their choices?  Scary – very scary!