Is b!tching about government waste automatically relegated to 'over there'?

In this instance, it's Medicare...again. Well, Medicare by way of Medicare Advantage. I just received two pieces of snail mail today from Blue Cross Blue Shield (of Massachusetts). In each envelope was one page of Explanation of Benefits and six pages of waste in the form of:

• otherwise blank sheet with my name and address
• title page explaining that it is Explanation of Benefits for me
• page explaining what to do if I have questions
• page explaining my right to appeal if I don't agree
• nondiscrimination notice
• translation resources, explaining all the other languages I could get help in

Yes, I've called to see if I could just refer to the exact same info that's available online, but it was explained to me that because it involves Medicare, they have to send out all that info in paper form. It still doesn't explain why they couldn't have consolidated the two dates of service a week apart into just one fat, wasteful envelope.

Jeez. Save some trees, people!

[/rant redux]

It's out of their advertising / communication budget. BCBS makes serious coin from Medicare. And remember... your state administers the Medicare / Medicaid budget. It's a classic Congress designed program intended to maximize profits for bureaucracies and companies.

Isn't Medicare Advantage coverage though a private business?

---

Northern California Coast

Quote
steve...
Isn't Medicare Advantage coverage though a private business?

Yes, but regulated up the wazoo by CMS (Medicare).

BC/BS produced when they were non-profit. Now they rake money in rather more than they put benefits out.

Our modest local non-profit health insurance company leases the majority of the largest skyscraper in town to administer its rent-seeking.