This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Before Medicare made them cut back, insurance companies used to invite seniors to presentations about their Medicare Advantage alternatives to traditional Medicare, accompanied by a free meal.
When I went to those meetings, I noticed that some of the older attendees had trouble locating the restaurant or the right room in the restaurant. Some were accompanied by younger relatives who tried to explain what was being said. Clearly, not everyone over 65 could comprehend the information.
Now, the Republican presidential ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan proposes changes to Medicare that will, in the future, abandon seniors to the mercies of the kindly insurance companies. It will force seniors to choose from among a number of complex health insurance policies (including traditional Medicare but with perhaps a higher premium), and then they can haggle with the companies over any claims.
That may be the cruelest thing I've ever heard.
Arthur Sutherland
Sandy