
Bloomberg Opinion To the stalwart seniors reviewing their Medicare coverage this fall: Godspeed. The open-enrollment process has become so convoluted that almost 70% of beneficiaries don’t bother to compare their options. Many are opting to migrate to Medicare Advantage, a simpler, privately run alternative paid for by the government. By 2034, more than 60% of seniors will be enrolled, up from about half today. The popularity of Medicare Advantage would be good news if not for its exorbitant cost. The government spends 22% more on MA beneficiaries than similar enrollees in the traditional program, amounting to $83 billion annually. MA beneficiaries, in return, enjoy more streamlined coverage and generous benefits while paying little or nothing in premiums. Unfortunately, Medicare’s fiscal state doesn’t leave much room for such extravagance. Its main trust fund is slated for insolvency by 2036. Total expenditures reached $1 trillion last year — some 16% of the federal budget — up from $575 billion a decade earlier. The demographics are similarly unfavorable: As the population ages, fewer workers will fund the program through payroll taxes. Demand for costly new medicines and technologies, meanwhile, is only rising. Lawmakers have taken steps to rein in MA spending, including a practice known as upcoding, which inflates insurer payments. They’re also increasing scrutiny of care denials. Yet little’s been done to address the deficiencies in the traditional program that have spurred the flight to MA. Medicare, the federal health plan for seniors, was created in 1965. It started with Parts A and B for hospital and doctor services. Over time, Congress added standardized supplemental benefits, including Part D for prescription drugs and Medigap, which helps seniors cover out-of-pocket expenses. Both are optional and run by commercial insurers, though the government helps pay for Part D. (Medigap is financed by premiums.) Medicare Advantage is considered Part C. Each benefit in this patchwork abides by its own rules and imposes different costs. Part A typically has no premium and a high deductible; Part B has a moderate premium and lower deductible, with a 20% coinsurance rate for most visits. Neither has an out-of-pocket maximum. The average beneficiary can then choose from 10 Medigap policies and no less than 21 stand-alone Part D plans. MA, by contrast, is a one-stop shop. It bundles hospital and doctor visits and prescription drug coverage with perks such as vision, hearing and dental care, while caps on out-of-pocket spending eliminate the need for Medigap. The trade-off is a more limited provider network and restrictions on care. (Traditional Medicare seldom requires so-called prior authorization, and almost all doctors nationwide participate.) Yet satisfaction scores remain high. The choice between a larger network with higher out-of-pocket costs (Medicare) and a narrower one with lower costs (MA) isn’t always an obvious one for a senior on a fixed budget. And the system’s overriding complexity makes choosing much harder. As things stand, it often amounts to high-stakes guesswork. Restructuring parts of traditional Medicare might help. A single deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for Parts A and B would simplify seniors’ choices and provide more certainty about their costs. A higher deductible in the traditional program would be a reasonable concession for lower premiums, copays and coinsurance, and could lessen the need to purchase Medigap policies. As for Part D, the complexity of adding the privately run program may not outweigh the benefits, as seniors may prefer to keep their choice of plans. A better alternative would be to update the Medicare Plan Finder tool to consolidate pricing information. (The last update — in 2019, for a relatively modest $11 million — predated significant advances in automation and analytics.) Increasing the paltry budget for in-person help, now 85 cents per beneficiary, would also be worthwhile. Simplifying Medicare is no simple task. But it would increase competition, save taxpayers money and protect the solvency of a critical government program. It’s also the right thing to do for the 65 million seniors who currently face a maddening array of ambiguous choices.Texas Crop and Weather Report: Holiday side dishes will be a bit more expensiveTORONTO - Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 remaining in the game, lifting the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women's Hockey League season opener on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * TORONTO - Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 remaining in the game, lifting the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women's Hockey League season opener on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? TORONTO – Hannah Miller scored a power-play goal with 1:38 remaining in the game, lifting the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League season opener on Saturday. With Boston standout Hilary Knight in the penalty box for a vicious boarding penalty on Sceptres defender Renata Fast, Miller made good on her rebound attempt on a Daryl Watts shot with a half-open net. Fast recovered for an assist on the winner before 8,089 fans at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Fleet (0-1-0) challenged the goal, but video review deemed Miller’s shot was good. Toronto Sceptres' Hannah Miller (34) celebrates her goal with teammates on the bench Boston Fleet during late third period PWHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn Sarah Nurse got Toronto (1-0-0) on the board with a short-handed tally 11:50 into the first period and Emma Maltais added an empty-net strike to seal the score at 3-1 with 12 seconds left on the game clock. Boston’s Hilary Knight opened the scoring at the 3:00 mark of the opening frame, sending a slap shot past Toronto goalie Kristin Campbell, who registered 18 stops on the night. Toronto outshot Boston 41-19. Boston goalie Aerin Frankel, a big reason why her team advanced to the Walter Cup final last spring, was outstanding with 38 saves. Frankel made a significant glove-hand stop on Toronto defender Jocelyne Larocque with 6:36 remaining in the third period. Larocque was alone when a rebound caromed to her in front. But the puck was rolling, and she could only lift her shot straight into Frankel’s glove. Nurse’s goal tested the league’s new jailbreak rule that sees a minor penalty — in this case, Izzy Daniel’s tripping infraction — wiped out when a team scores a short-handed goal. . Takeaways Sceptres: Billie Jean King MVP Natalie Spooner missed the season opener. The PWHL scoring champion underwent left knee surgery last June after getting injured in Game 3 of Toronto’s first-round series against Minnesota. Fleet: Defender Emma Greco of Burlington, Ont., played her first game for Boston. She was part of the Walter Cup-winning Minnesota team that defeated Boston in a three-game series last spring. Greco is one of five Ontario-born players on the Fleet roster. Key moment With the game tied 1-1, the Sceptres failed to score during a 59-second 5-on-3 advantage midway through the second period. Boston blocked five shots during the span. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Key stat Last year, Toronto enjoyed an 11-game win streak en route to its regular-season championship, including three wins against Boston. Up next Toronto visits Ottawa on Tuesday. Boston will play its home opener on Wednesday, a rematch with the Walter Cup-champion Minnesota. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement
The Arizona Cardinals were rested, relatively healthy and had been playing some of their best football in years. That's why Sunday's sobering 16-6 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks was so surprising. “Frustrating day offensively, especially the way we’ve been playing to come out here and lay an egg and get physically dominated in a sense,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. The Cardinals (6-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Murray completed 24 of 37 passes for 285 yards, but made a brutal mistake, throwing an interception that was returned 69 yards by Seattle's Coby Bryant. The running game never got going, gaining just 49 yards. James Conner, the team's leading rusher, had just 8 yards on seven attempts. “There were a lot of things where it felt like the flow of things just wasn’t in our favor,” receiver Michael Wilson said. "Some games go like that. And then we didn’t execute enough to make up for the game sort of not going our way.” Arizona's still in decent playoff position, tied with the Seahawks on top of the NFC West with six games to play. But after all the good news and winning over the past month, Sunday's loss was humbling. “We’re going to learn a lot from this game,” Gannon said. Arizona's defense continued its remarkable midseason turnaround, giving the team every opportunity to win Sunday. The front seven doesn't have any stars, but continues to cobble together a respectable pass rush. The Cardinals finished with five sacks, all by different players. Second-year cornerback Garrett Williams intercepted a pass by Geno Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter, briefly giving the Cardinals some momentum as they tried to fight back. Williams — a third-round pick out of Syracuse in 2023 — is growing into a steady starting corner that the Cardinals have missed for years. “I thought that they hung in there and battled, forced a bunch of punts, kept points off the board,” Gannon said. “I thought the interception by Garrett was fantastic, kept us in the game there, kept points off the board. We made some mistakes. We made some mistakes, starting with me.” The Cardinals aren't going to win many games with a rushing performance like Sunday's. Conner, held to a season low in yards rushing, did have 41 yards receiving. Rookie Trey Benson had four carries for 18 yards, while Emari Demercado broke a 14-yard gain. Getting Conner going is key. Arizona has a 5-1 record this season when he has at least 100 total yards from scrimmage. Gannon said falling into an early hole affected some of the things the Cardinals could do, particularly in the second half. “I thought there was plays there, but again, where you get down in that game, you’re not really playing normal ball there for a good chunk of the game,” Gannon said. “So we’ve got to do a better job earlier in the game to make sure we’re not playing left-handed.” Fourth-year edge rusher Zaven Collins isn't necessarily the star fans hoped for when he was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but he has quietly had a productive season leading the team's no-name front seven. Collins picked up his fourth sack of the season Sunday and put consistent pressure on Smith. Murray's still having a great season, but the quarterback's MVP credentials took a hit with Sunday's mediocre performance. He played pretty well at times, but the interception that turned into a pick-6 was a backbreaker. The sixth-year quarterback had largely avoided those types of plays this season, which is a big reason they're in the playoff hunt. “Can't give them seven points, especially when our defense is playing the way that they’re playing,” Murray said. “I feel like if I don’t do that, we’re in the game four quarters because that’s the way it was trending.” The Cardinals came out of Sunday's game fairly healthy. Gannon said starting safety Jalen Thompson (ankle) should be back at practice Wednesday. He missed the last two games. 12 and 133 — Tight end Trey McBride continued his breakout season with a career-high 12 catches for 133 yards. The Cardinals have another difficult road game against the Vikings (9-2) on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNone
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Cyber Monday TV deals with gear starting from just $200Joe Burrow is no longer talking about the playoffs after another loss by the high-scoring Bengals CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have found all manner of ways to lose close games this season. Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press Dec 2, 2024 2:30 PM Dec 2, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks off the field after his team's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have found all manner of ways to lose close games this season. Sunday's 44-38 loss to AFC North rival Pittsburgh can be blamed on a defense that missed tackles and allowed 520 yards of offense, and three turnovers by Joe Burrow. It's become a familiar story in this disappointing season. Cincinnati (4-8) keeps scoring lots of points but can't close out games. Seven of the Bengals’ eight losses this year have been by one score. Burrow has stopped talking about the possibility of going on a run and making the playoffs. He'd just like to win another game or two. “Playoffs are the furthest thing from my mind,” the fifth-year quarterback said. “You never know what can happen, so I’ll keep putting one foot in front of the other and try to be the best player I can be for the rest of the season, week in and week out.” The Bengals allowed Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson to throw for a season-high 414 yards and three touchdowns. After Wilson threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, the Steelers (9-3) scored on seven of their last nine possessions. They didn't punt until early in the fourth quarter. Burrow lost two fumbles and threw an interception. “We haven’t done enough to earn the win,” coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s a simple as that. It’s nobody else’s fault but our own. We haven’t earned it.” What’s working Turnovers aside, Burrow had another strong game, finishing with 28 for 38 for 309 yards with three touchdowns. Burrow is having a great season statistically, and he hasn't hidden his disappointment and frustration about Cincinnati's narrow losses. ... WR Ja'Marr Chase had a touchdown catch to bring his league-leading total to 13. What needs help The defense missed tackles and couldn't hold off the Steelers, even with Burrow keeping the game close. It didn’t help that LB Logan Wilson (knee) and DT Sheldon Rankins (illness) had to sit out. The Bengals have allowed 34 or more points six times, including in four of the past five games. Cincinnati became the first NFL team to lose four games in a season in which it scored 33 points or more. Stock up RB Chase Brown has been dependable as the featured back since Zack Moss went down with a neck injury. He rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. He also had three catches for 30 yards. The second-year back has 677 yards rushing and six TDs. “He’s really coming along, improving his game every single week,” Burrow said. “Pass game, run game, running hard, understanding his protection responsibilities. He’s a guy that practices hard, plays hard, and a guy you can count on.” Stock down The Bengals' coaching staff. Something has got to give. There was no excuse for the defense to play this badly after a bye week. The unit gave up 500-plus yards for the second time this season. Injuries None were reported in the game. Key number 30.3 — The average points per game by the Bengals against teams with a .500 or better record this season. They are 0-7 in those games. Next steps The Bengals will try to regroup before facing the Dallas Cowboys (5-7) next Monday night. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Patriots turn their attention to the future after being eliminated from playoff contention Dec 2, 2024 2:54 PM 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey headed to IR with an injured right knee Dec 2, 2024 2:47 PM Titans are their own worst enemy as they fail again to string together wins Dec 2, 2024 2:36 PMPrince of Wales sponsors camel trek across Oman in footsteps of 1928 British explorer