We at CTL-Retirees have been seeing many articles about Medicare and Direct Contracting Entities.  It concerns us for both current and future retirees.  The National Retirees Legislative Network tells us “Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs) are aimed at the 41 million in original Medicare and even the 24.9 million in Medicare Advantage (MA). The Health Affairs publication reported there are 53 DCE pilot programs in 38 states and 23 are investor owned. A second wave of DCEs are expected to be announced in January 2022.”

You can do a web search and find plenty of glowing references to it from the entities who will profit from DCEs, but here are a couple of links that we think are truthful and nonbiased.

First a very in-depth look at the issue of Direct Contracting provided by Health Affairs.  It is a detailed paper on the sometimes not-so-open privatization onslaught against Medicare.   https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210928.795755/full/

The background on Health Affairs:  Health Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research. The peer-reviewed journal was founded in 1981 under the aegis of Project HOPE, a nonprofit international health education organization. Health Affairs explores health policy issues of current concern in domestic and international spheres. Its mission is to serve as a high-level, nonpartisan forum to promote analysis and discussion on improving health and health care, and to address such issues as cost, quality, and access.

Next is a video podcast of the issue provided by Rising.

The background on Rising: “Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts who lean into the day’s political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders.”  Both current and previous administrations are held accountable. 

In this podcast “Biden advisor Andy Slavitt linked to DEVASTATING private equity TAKEOVER of Medicare”  https://news.yahoo.com/ryan-grim-biden-advisor-andy-144300629.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall&guccounter=1

 HOW TO TAKE ACTION – This link is to an Action Alert from the National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) and provides a quick and easy way to directly contact your elected officials.   This alert is called “Stop the New Plan to Destroy Medicare” –  https://www.nrln.org/action-alert/#/121