Welcome to Crazy Town

| 8:00 pm EST December 12, 2024
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“Crazy Town” is a good moniker for the Trump administration. Though the Raw Story article refers to Marjorie Taylor Green’s position as head of the Congressional DOGE, it fits Donald Trump and his choices for his administration perfectly. It’s hard to believe, but it may well get even crazier, since Raw Story revealed that Trump is looking at Kari Lake as ambassador to Mexico. Lake is an infamous loser, having now lost her bids for governor and for senate. Trump has chosen the craziest characters for very important roles, including Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS). Not only is Oz a quack who has previously been hauled before Congress to testify on the “miracle” drugs he’s been pushing, but according to AlterNet, Oz wants to privatize Medicare, which would serve to line his pockets. In that case, he fits right in with Trump.

According to NBC News, Democratic senators want to know what Oz’s plans are with respect to Medicare. In 2020, Oz supported putting all seniors into private insurance plans under Medicare Advantage, which is now merely a part of Medicare, not a free-standing insurance entity. Elizabeth Warren and others sent a letter to Dr. Oz, asking him to clarify his position. You see, the biggest problem with privatization is that Oz has “deep financial ties to private health insurers.” The letter was cosigned by Ron Wyden (D-OR), who will become the ranking member of the Finance Committee, which oversees the CMMS nomination and will get the opportunity to question Oz. In essence, Oz received a preview of his confirmation process.

Democratic senators contend that Medicare Advantage plans “drastically overcharge” for care. Medicare keeps those charges in line by approving costs and not paying for any overcharges. Just like social security, Americans have been paying into Medicare since they’ve been working. This type of change would bleed the department dry faster than traditional Medicare. No one wants that, especially not people who have been paying into it who would then be forced to pay for private insurance. Medicare is not free. Depending on when you come into the system, you could be paying anywhere from $130 to $175 per month, so we have not only contributed to it, but we are required to pay a premium. Private insurance could cost from $500 per month and up, and people over the age of 65 would likely be “rated” because they will, over time, cost the insurer more. That would make it impossible for people living on fixed incomes to insure themselves. It’s a very bad idea and would be a bad precedent to set. Those issues aside, the senators are concerned about Oz’s ownership of stock in UnitedHealth, which is the largest Medicare Advantage insurer and the largest employer of doctors in the nation. That company is currently under antitrust investigation.

This seems to be the way of Trump Crazy Town. If it helps to line their pockets, they’re all in. Caring about people, especially seniors, is the last thing on their minds.