The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.
Question: On Healthcare.gov from 2014-2020, how many silver plans does the insurer that has the cheapest silver offer?
I asked that question this morning as I was sipping my coffee due to a conversation about my point that the ACA choice environment is messy. Jenny Chumbly Hogue is an insurance agent in Texas with a focus on the ACA market. She raised a very good point. There is a tremendous amount of variation and deliberate gaming in the practice that I call “silver-spamming.” Insurer strategy varies by insurer type and over time as well as a response to competition.