Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad, by David W. Bynon Book Review
Medicare has been one of the leading healthcare plans for people in the US. Most particularly, it has been beneficial for those 65 years old and above, some people with certain disabilities as well. While the plan can potentially cover a lot when it comes to healthcare costs, there are a few issues with Medicare in general.
The biggest problem that people often have with Medicare is that to get full coverage, people will have to spend a lot on annual premiums. Understandably, not everyone can afford to pay for such high premiums, so they alter the package to meet their needs – foregoing some coverage along the way.
As an answer to the problem, the federal government has launched Medicare Advantage. This is a new package that promises to bundle all of the coverage in Medicare at a more affordable price. From the offset, this seems like a good idea, but there are those that disagree.
MedicareWire.com founder Andrew Bynon’s book titled Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad details Medicare Advantage to its very core. It’s a good way to help people understand the upsides and downsides of Medicare Advantage. How do the book and the author’s take on the plane fare?
Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad: Book Review
Who is David Bynon?
Before we talk about the book, let’s talk about the person behind the book first. David Bynon retired from the US Navy in 2007. Since retiring, he has made it his goal to make sure that Medicare is easier for people to understand. Since the target of the program are seniors, it’s important that they know what they are getting into.
As a writer, Bynon uses simple terms and good examples to help people understand what’s supposed to be complex in the world of health insurance.
Medicare Advantage For The Common Man
Medicare itself was pretty easy to understand, but when Medicare Advantage launched, it has become a topic of debate. As per Bynon, Medicare Advantage is a double-edged sword. People are initially enticed by the low premiums, but they don’t often see the bigger picture.
To help increase transparency on Medicare and Medicare Advantage, Bynon launched Why Medicare Advantage Plans Are Bad. The book dives into the pros and cons of the plan in a way that people can easily understand. It really is a good way to get to know these insurance plans better.
Bynon says that Medicare Advantage isn’t all that bad. For starters, he says that the best benefit of Medicare Advantage is that it combines all of the coverage of Medicare. It can also add additional benefits that may or may not be included in the Original Medicare.
After thoroughly explaining what Medicare and Medicare Advantage is, Bynon digs into the highly controversial claim that the plan is a double-edged sword. Aside from its benefits, Bynon explains why people might end up paying more for Medicare Advantage as well.
As per Bynon, Medicare Advantage is good, but not for all people. For instance, it’s not as advantageous for those who are suffering from chronic health conditions like diabetes. With the plan, people can potentially pay a lot more than compared to if they stuck with the original Medicare plan.
In the book, Bynon says “The low monthly premiums tease many people into Medicare Advantage plans,” and cites several examples. The book also helps readers understand that Medicare Advantage plans are not free, which is a common misconception. People who join a Medicare Advantage plan must continue to pay their Medicare Part B monthly premiums. Bynon claims that this is partly to blame for the confusion. People don’t realize this and simply think they are getting free healthcare. Then the bills start showing up and reality sets in.”
Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad is a good book for many reasons. One, Bynon was impartial with how he detailed both Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Although the primary purpose was to uncover the shortcomings of Medicare Advantage, Bynon was more than open to exploring its advantages.
Perhaps the best part of the book was how easy it was to understand the pros and cons of both plans. It’s really important that people understand the plans well if they want to know whether it was right for them. For this, Bynon achieved his goal of making Medicare more accessible and more transparent to people.
It’s definitely a book worth diving into if you want to know more about Medicare.
Medicare Advantage is very enticing at first glance. However, there are just so many underlying factors that people will have to consider before actually considering getting this insurance package. Thanks to Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad, people now have a means to better understand why it isn’t such a good idea at all.
