OSHIIP Director Chris Reeg testifies before US Senate about deceptive practices targeting Ohioans on Medicare
Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) Director Chris Reeg testified Wednesday before the United States Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C. on the topic of “Medicare Advantage Annual Enrollment: Cracking Down on Deceptive Practices and Improving Senior Experiences."
The work of OSHIIP, a program of the Ohio Department of Insurance, has earned national acclaim for excellence and performance. Funded in part by a federal grant, OSHIIP provides the nearly 2.5 million Ohioans on Medicare and their caregivers with objective health insurance information, individual counseling and complaint resolution.
Reeg, in her 26th year with OSHIIP, said that Medicare consumers are overwhelmed with plan options and marketing and that they would benefit from stronger consumer protections.
“In my time with OSHIIP, I have witnessed extreme growth,” she said. “Growth of the Medicare population, growth within the scope of SHIP work, and extreme growth in plan options. Our Medicare consumers are overwhelmed by the volume of options in every county, they are flooded with plan marketing and often confused by the variance in plan benefits, networks and added benefits. This often leads to poor enrollment decisions and undesirable outcomes.”
Reeg suggested several solutions.
“A personalized Annual Notice of Change would assist beneficiaries in better identifying plan changes, such as higher premiums and copays, from year-to-year,” she said. “Stronger oversight on utilization of special election periods, such as the low-income subsidy special enrollment period and a block on enrollments for those with cognitive impairments could minimize improper sales to our most vulnerable beneficiaries. Reinstatement of measurable differences when approving plan contracts would help contain the volume of plans in each county. These actions could make the process of choosing and enrolling in a Medicare plan less intimidating.”
During the State of Ohio's recently concluded fiscal year, OSHIIP, the state’s official Medicare educational and counseling program, saved more than $50.4 million for Ohioans on Medicare, provided one-on-one counseling to 152,874 consumers, and welcomed 455,591 attendees to public education events. OSHIIP also helped 30,798 consumers through its toll-free hotline.
Currently, OSHIIP is conducting virtual and on-site statewide Medicare Checkup events to help Ohioans on Medicare across the state to help participants learn Medicare fundamentals, what's new, how to compare plans, prescription drug coverage options and ways to save money. An events calendar is located at insurance.ohio.gov/medicare, and OSHIIP representatives are also available at oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov and 800-686-1578.
The hearing and testimony can be viewed at http://finance.senate.gov/hearings.