October 15 marked the first day of open enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans — a time that will deliver chaos and confusion for many of the 34 million seniors who depend on these plans to pay their healthcare bills. It’s yet another reminder that Medicare wastes billions of dollars funneling public money to private companies that are primarily driven by profit-seeking.

Last year, more MA members than expected used their benefits to get necessary medical care. One might assume that companies would expect beneficiaries to use health care services. But after years of making outsized profits, the insurance companies that own these plans are reacting to this by downsizing plans, cutting benefits, increasing copays, and raising prescription drug deductibles. In other words, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are being penalized for using the health care that they pay for.

Having spent decades luring enrollees and collecting premiums, two of the biggest health insurers in the MA marketplace, CVS and Humana, are scaling back, slashing benefits, and canceling plans with too many members who used their health benefits. They are closing less profitable health plans that serve half a million or more seniors, forcing them to sign up for other more expensive or less generous coverage. Humana is set to leave 13 markets around the country, affecting 560,000 beneficiaries or 10 percent of its plan members. The reason for exiting? The CFO herself, Susan Diamond, said the specific markets just aren’t profitable. CVS Chief Financial Officer Tom Cowhey sent a similar message at a........

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