Posted: October 1, 2018 - 11:26 AM
Michael Nutter, For the Inquirer
For more than 22 years, I served as mayor and a
councilperson of Philadelphia. Now, at the age of 61, I have been looking
at my AARP newsletters, and listening to my daughter tell me that I'll soon be
able to ride SEPTA as a senior for free! I've also been reflective, thinking
about next steps, always with the goal of making things better for the people
who live and work here. People my age start taking stock of their lives —
and asking themselves, "What do I want to do next?"
Many of my fellow baby boomers likely relate to this
sentiment – that there is still so much to do, things to accomplish, people to
help, more life to experience.
I've been thinking about this constantly since I left
City Hall in 2016 and I recently realized that ensuring the most vulnerable in
Philadelphia have access to the same kind of high-quality health care that I
have should be my focus. While I was in public service, I was passionate about
improving our health-care system. The Affordable Care Act made major
advancements, but more needs to be done.
In particular, far too many senior citizens in
Philadelphia are still struggling with paying their medical bills. Yes, all
Americans over age 65 have access to Medicare, but traditional Medicare has
many gaps. It doesn't cover dental, vision or hearing – and you have to sign up
and pay for Medicare Part D if you want it to include prescription drugs. Then
there is the 20 percent coinsurance in traditional Medicare. The costs
add up, quickly, especially if you're a senior on a fixed income, or if you're
hospitalized.
There is a solution for this dilemma – and it's not
complicated: Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage is a part of the Medicare
system, but it functions much more like employer-based health insurance.
Medicare Advantage covers drugs, vision, dental, and hearing, and has an
out-of-pocket cap to protect consumers from huge co-pays. In most cases
Medicare Advantage plans cost the same or less than traditional Medicare
premiums.
The problem is that not enough of our seniors sign up
for Medicare Advantage. More than 250,000 people in Philadelphia qualify for
Medicare, but only 112,000 – less than half of the eligible population – are on
a Medicare Advantage plan. That means nearly 10 percent of Philadelphians
aren't getting the most comprehensive health coverage that is readily available
to them.
Part of my work in this next phase of my life will be
dedicated to spreading the word about the benefits of Medicare Advantage in
Philadelphia. To do this, I decided to partner with Clover Health, a health-tech
company that operates extensively in New Jersey and is now expanding into
Philadelphia.
What makes Clover Health unique, and why I chose to
work with them, is how they combine technology with compassion, quality medical
care, and a focus on prevention.
They go beyond normal Medicare Advantage, using a
high-tech approach to deliver proactive results to their members – keeping them
healthy and enjoying their lives. They serve seniors by sending nurse
practitioners for in-home visits when they feel a person is at risk of high
blood pressure, hasn't taken their medicine, or is having trouble managing
their sugar and diabetes.
Seeing the Clover staff in action providing
personalized, caring, inclusive and affordable healthcare made it clear to me
that they were the right partner for me and for Philadelphia. The timing is
also right. Everyone on Medicare is able to switch to a Medicare Advantage plan
during the Annual Enrollment Period, which begins Oct. 15.
So, Philadelphia, you may start hearing my voice on the
radio or seeing me on TV talking about my new cause. And if you or your parents
sign up for our Medicare Advantage plan, then I'll know the message is getting
through.
Michael Nutter was the mayor of
Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016, and is a senior adviser for Clover Health.
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