In the waning days of the Trump Administration, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) launched a pilot program called Medicare Direct Contracting. This under-the-radar program invited third-party middlemen to “manage” the care of Traditional Medicare beneficiaries. It also created a financial incentive for these middlemen to frustrate patients and deny medically necessary care.
Thanks to the efforts of thousands of activists, Direct Contracting became thoroughly discredited and the Biden Administration was pressured to address the program. Unfortunately, their response was to simply rebrand Direct Contracting as Medicare REACH, a program that retains the worst elements of its predecessor and in some cases is even more generous to industry.
Dr. Ed Weisbart explains the dangers of REACH
On February 24, 2022, shortly after Biden Administration officials announced the REACH program, Dr. Ed Weisbart broke down the fundamental flaws of this new model. Bottom line: Unless we stop REACH, it could spell the end of Medicare as a public, nonprofit, social insurance program.
Learn more about Medicare privatization
Taking action to stop REACH
On March 31, 2022, Healthcare-NOW! hosted a panel discussion as part of its Medicare for All Strategy Conference. Diane Archer of Just Care was joined by Drs. Ana Malinow, Laurel Mark, Susan Rogers, and Ed Weisbart of Physicians for a National Health Program and Edward Si of Students for a National Health Program to discuss how Medicare advocates can most effectively demand an end to the REACH program.
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.