Despite Bernie Sanders' single payer push to eliminate private health insurers, companies are offering more Medicare benefits under new Trump administration rules
compared to the year-ago period. The operator of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 14 states launched a “social determinants of health benefits package” earlier this year that allows seniors enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans to get coverage for “healthy meals, transportation, adult day care and in-home personal care,”But U.S. Sen.
The arguments of Sanders and supporters of single-payer Medicare are up against a tide of seniors picking private plans and new rules from the Trump administration that have gradually changed regulations to allow private insurers to expand Medicare Advantage and offer more benefits. Industry analysts see the additional supplemental benefits helping to attract even more seniors to Medicare Advantage with some reports projecting nearly 40 million seniors – or half of the nation’s Medicare population - to be enrolled in such plans within the next five years. Such projections are based on Medicare Advantage being continued by Congress and the next White House.
“With new flexibility introduced for 2019, Medicare Advantage plans were given even more runway to introduce innovative solutions that improve seniors’ health while reducing costs,” said Keith Fontenot, executive vice president, policy & strategy, America’s Health Insurance Plans, which represents the health insurance industry and companies including Anthem, Cigna, Centene and several Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.
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