State Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, plans to file legislation that will restore the option of choosing the Delaware Special Medicfill Supplement Plan to all State healthcare funded Medicare recipients.
This bill will give retirees the option of choosing between the current Medicfill supplement plan and the newly created Medicare Advantage plan.
Superior Court Judge Calvin Scott Jr. recently issued a stay of the implementation of a Medicare Advantage Plan.
A committee that handles state benefits the voted to keep Medicfill in place until 2024. At that time, the state may take bids on a health care plan for retirees. That would appear to render the bill moot.
Kowalko stated: “This legislation will enable the state to comply with the court’s directive and assures retirees that they will have options to prepare for their and their families futures. If retirees choose the supplement option they will be lowering the substantial risk to their healthcare access that the Medicare Advantage privatization edict puts in jeopardy”.
“Furthermore this legislation allows the General Assembly to embrace its obligations to its retirees and reiterates the General Assembly’s respect for those workers who have earned that respect.”
The future of the bill remains unclear, with few legislators coming out against the Medicare Adatrage plan.
Also, Kiowalko leaves office in November after deciding not to run for another term.
Despite Kowalko’s claims that the process was done in secret, groups representing retirees opted for the Medicare Advantage plan, which requires some medical procedures to be approved in advance.
Changes have been made to the Advantage plan, with retirees able to keep their doctor, if he or she accepts Medicare.
The reason for the changeover involved soaring health care costs for retirees under supplements.
Kowalko, who will draw retirement benefits from his decades as a state legislator, formed a group to oppose the Advantage plan
Medicare Advantage also comes with more preventative services aimed at recipients with chronic conditions such as diabetes who often end up in the hospital.
