The story of Richard Timmins of a rural community outside of Seattle may be typical of some of your patients who have signed up for Medicare Advantage Plans lured into those plans by lower fees and extra benefits. 

We need innovation to face the challenges of these seemingly insurmountable issues. Who has some field tested solutions? Please let us know and we will share with others.

At the close of the 2024 enrollment period Medicare Advantage programs according to CMS gained 2.9% more members, bringing the total enrollment to 32.9 million. This number includes seniors who signed up for Medicare Advantage with Part D coverage.

In the mid - 20th Century, the Federal Government through Hill-Burton Grants funded many hospitals in rural areas. These grants stopped in 1997. These hospitals were very much needed. There was little hospital construction during the depression and after World War II there was still limited access to healthcare, especially in rural areas.