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Rubio: “This is a real life story of a Medicare Advantage recipient in this country whose out-of-pocket costs are going up because of ObamaCare. It is wrong. It is unfair. It should not stand.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) delivered the remarks on the Senate floor today highlighting the case of Michelle Hatley, a Destin constituent who was forced to change her Medicare Advantage plan because ObamaCare regulations resulted in her insurer removing a medical center from her network. Ms. Hatley is now paying more money on a new plan that allows her to continue seeing her six doctors. The transcript follows below. For TV stations interested in airing a portion of the speech in broadcast quality video, visit here.
Senator Marco Rubio’s Remarks About Florida Seniors Losing Medicare Advantage Plans
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.
http://youtu.be/hAdEEY3WbL8
Senator Marco Rubio: “Mr. President, one of the things that hasn’t been discussed is the impact ObamaCare is having on Medicare and Medicare Part B – Medicare beneficiaries. In Florida, we have a significant number of people that are Medicare beneficiaries and Medicare Advantage. My mom is a Medicare Advantage patient. I wanted to read briefly if I could a letter I received from a constituent of mine named Michelle Hatley who lives in Destin, Florida, which is in Northwest Florida. It is a letter she [sent us] regarding her existing doctors. She also got a letter from one of her providers that talks about the changes. Let me read you the e-mail. She sent this.
“‘My Medicare Advantage plan was the Medicare Completer through AARP and United Health Care. Three of my doctors are with White Wilson and 3 are with Sacred Heart. My rheumatologist, who directs my care for treatment of two auto-immune conditions is with Sacred Heart and the only rheumatologist in Destin. I’m legally blind, so transport to another doctor out of town is difficult to arrange and expensive. Of the plans that are available that will allow me to keep my doctors, the annual out-of-pocket is significantly higher as well as the co-payments and deductibles for patient visits, prescription drugs, and inpatient care. My choice has been reduced to finding all new doctors or enrolling in a different Medicare Advantage plan, which will cost more. I wanted the senator to be aware that Medicare clients are experiencing negative consequences from the ACA as well.’
“Since that time after this experience, she has been able to find a plan that helps her avoid all six of her doctors, including the five specialists and her primary care physician. This new plan is going up [from $4,000-4,500] to an expected $5,900. It was a tough decision for her to make, but she ultimately decided to pay more money in order to keep seeing her doctors that have been treating her for the past four to six years. This is a real life story of a Medicare Advantage recipient in this country whose out-of-pocket costs are going up because of ObamaCare. It is wrong. It is unfair. It should not stand.”