OH FUCK NO.
Moronic Republican David Schweikert Proposes Obamacare On Steroids, Forced ‘Auto-enrollment’ No Consumer Choice
Think Obamacare was an expensive failure and disaster already? Well some Republicans wish to make it far WORSE!
New legislation before Congress, H.R. 3467, should alarm anyone who cares about protecting Americans’ health and autonomy.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and introduced in May, would automatically enroll new Medicare beneficiaries into the lowest-premium Medicare Advantage plan available in their ZIP code unless they actively opt out. Even more troubling, it would lock them into that plan for three full years, limiting their ability to switch back to traditional Medicare or select a new plan except under narrowly defined hardship circumstances.
At first glance, “auto-enrollment” sounds efficient, with fewer decisions to make at a confusing time. But when you dig deeper, this proposal removes freedom rather than simplifying a decision. Many would find themselves stuck in private insurance plans they never chose, possibly unable to access trusted doctors, specialists or hospitals outside their network.
While Medicare Advantage plans can provide valuable perks such as dental, hearing and fitness benefits, they often impose narrow provider networks, prior-authorization hurdles and higher out-of-pocket costs when care is needed most. If an older adult doesn’t realize they’ve been automatically enrolled or assumes they can switch later, they could discover the hard way that their longtime cardiologist, oncologist or local hospital isn’t covered.
This bill doesn’t simplify Medicare, it substitutes an algorithm’s decision for an informed human choice.
Currently, Medicare beneficiaries can review or change coverage annually during open enrollment. That flexibility is essential: people’s health and finances change. But H.R. 3467 would remove that freedom for three years after auto-enrollment.
Imagine being 72, recently diagnosed with cancer, and realizing your plan doesn’t cover your preferred specialist — then learning you can’t change it for two more years. That’s not a “benefit” it’s a communistic bureaucratic trap.
And the fallout won’t stop with the individual enrollees. Family caregivers, already juggling appointments, medications and appeals, will face greater strain when a loved one is locked into an unsuitable plan. Nearly one in five Americans now provides unpaid care to an adult aged 50 or older. Instead of easing their workload, this bill would multiply their stress.
This bill remains in committee and has not advanced to a full House vote. There’s still time for lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans alike, to step back and reconsider the long-term consequences.
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5617927-congress-medicare-reform-dangers/amp/
