Dr. Marvin Malek, past president of Vermont Physicians for a National Health Program will give a presentation on the privatization of Medicare.

Dr. Malek will review Medicare Advantage, Direct Contracting Entities (DCE) and the new Accountable Care-Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO/REACH) program as he leads a discussion about the impact of privatization initiatives on the care that Medicare beneficiaries receive, on the costs Medicare beneficiaries will be facing, and on the financial stability of the Medicare program.

For the first 20 years after its implementation in 1965, the Medicare program reimbursed hospitals and doctors directly for the care they provided to Medicare enrollees. Beginning in 1985, some Medicare recipients were given the option of electing to have their benefit managed by a private company, currently known as the Medicare Advantage program. Last year, officials in the Medicare program announced that by the year 2030, they would be involuntarily enrolling the remaining Medicare enrollees into another managed care program—the ACO/REACH program.

Co-sponsored by Vermont Physicians for a National Health Program, Vermont Health Care for All, Vermont State Employees Association, and Vermont Workers' Center. The program will be recorded by Onion River Community Access.

May 18, 2024, 2 to 4 PM

May 21, 2024, 6:30 to 8 PM

May 22, 2024, 7 to 8 PM