As the Biden administration continues to inexplicably roll out the Trump-era Medicare Direct Contracting program (now known as REACH), advocates have been writing op-eds and letters to the editor demanding an end to this stealth privatization attempt. Medicare advocates have also been appearing on television programs, radio shows, online video segments, and podcasts.
Interested in developing your own letter or op-ed? See our detailed suggestions on writing and submitting an opinion piece.
“Secret Trump Program To Privatize Medicare Needs to End“
“Medicare is being privatized on Biden’s watch“
“Trump wanted to privatize Medicare. Biden’s letting it happen.“
“A Banker in the Exam Room?”
“The biggest threat to Medicare you’ve never even heard of“
Physicians for a National Health Program president Dr. Susan Rogers co-authored a piece with H.R. 1976 (Medicare for All) lead sponsor Rep. Pramila Jayapal in The Hill describing the dangers of Medicare Direct Contracting, and the urgent need to end the program.
“As a physician and a member of Congress, we’ve never heard a senior ask for their health care to be more complicated, or to have their choice of Traditional Medicare taken away,” they wrote. “But that’s exactly what Direct Contracting would do. Traditional Medicare has proven its value for more than half a century. Instead of selling it off to the highest bidder, let’s strengthen and improve its benefits while working to expand it to cover every American.”
“How Medicare is quietly being privatized“
Former Detroit Health Director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Metro Times detailing the financial incentives for Direct Contracting Entities to exaggerate patient illnesses while skimping on patient care.
“Everyone from traditional health insurers to private equity firms are lining up to cash in,” he wrote. “But Direct Contracting isn’t a matter of law; Congress never voted on this. It’s just a pilot program designed by the Trump administration … that the Biden administration is now carrying forward. They could kill Direct Contracting in its tracks if they wanted to!”
“Biden’s costly failure to stop Medicare privatization experiment“
Northeast Ohio Medical University students Maximilian Brockwell and James Tyler Moore co-wrote an op-ed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer explaining how Direct Contracting Entities would add layers of red tape and compromise patient choice.
“While there is an option to opt out after the fact, the opaque process will add to an already confusing maze of hurdles seniors must navigate to access necessary medical care,” they wrote. “It may also lead to many patients being forced to find new physicians if they don’t want to participate.”
Direct Contracting and REACH in the news
For a complete digest of op-eds, letters to the editor, and news pieces related to Direct Contracting and REACH, visit the PNHP website.
- “The other way the government is privatizing Medicare,” by John Wilkerson, STAT, March 3, 2023
- “Amazon Joins the Medicare Privatization Spree,” by Matthew Cunningham-Cook, The Lever, July 22, 2022
- “How Medicare is Being Slowly and Quietly Put to Death,” by Lee Russ, The Progressive, March 28, 2022
- “Progressives are up in arms over a Medicare experiment,” by Rachel Roubein, Washington Post, February 17, 2022
- “Trump Created A Program To Privatize Medicare Without Patients’ Consent. Biden Is Keeping It Going.” by Paul McLeod, BuzzFeed News, January 28, 2022
- “The Dark History of Medicare Privatization,” by Barbara Caress, The American Prospect, January 24, 2022
- “A quiet experiment is testing broader privatization of U.S. Medicare,” by Mark Miller, Reuters, January 14, 2022
- “Medicare Privatization Scheme Faced Legal Questions About Profiteering,” by Ryan Grim and Austin Ahlman, The Intercept, December 14, 2021
- “Biden moves forward with Trump Medicare privatization plan,” by Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, November 8, 2021
- “This latest under-the-radar program could push Medicare deeper into private hands,” by Trudy Lieberman, Center for Health Journalism, March 11, 2021
- “Trump administration attempts to privatize traditional Medicare,” by Diane Archer, JustCare USA, December 17, 2020
Ready to take action? Sign our petition demanding an end to Medicare REACH. You may also wish to call your member of Congress at (202) 224-3121. And be sure to let your friends, colleagues, and family members know about this ongoing threat to Traditional Medicare. Questions? Email organizer@pnhp.org.