In the waning days of the Biden presidency, the administration proposed yet another blow to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program — a disappointing (though ultimately, unsurprising) reversal given Joe Biden’s raft of half-baked and unsustainable promises on Medicare “reform.” Funding for this market-based program already fails to address ever-rising inflation, and this latest proposal will put even greater pressure on seniors who are already struggling to afford medical coverage. The Biden administration has left American seniors in the lurch; now, President Donald Trump must act to put this crucial program back on solid footing.
More than half of seniors eligible for Medicare are enrolled in MA plans. These plans are an alternative to traditional Medicare that typically offer additional benefits like coverage of dental, hearing, and vision services – often for no additional premium. And, because these plans are grounded in competition and have improper payment rates below the traditional Medicare program, MA is an important and market-based improvement over the status-quo for taxpayers and consumers.
Nearly 33 million Americans are enrolled in a MA plan, and beneficiaries cite the simplicity and convenience of plans as reasons for continued and expanding enrollment. In other words, erratic executive actions that threaten MA will make life and health care access more difficult for a large and vulnerable part of our citizenry.
Beneficiaries may see headlines about MA reimbursement rates increasing by about 2%, but they should not be fooled by this misinformation; it is pure political gamesmanship. The government’s proposed rate “increases” are lower than the current inflation rate, making them a cut in real dollars. This adds insult to injury, given that inflation has skyrocketed under Biden and remains remarkably stubborn. Inflation has hit the medical sector particularly hard. This year, medical cost growth is anticipated to reach its highest level in 13 years.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is “projecting an 8% year-on-year medical cost trend in 2025 for the Group market and 7.5% for the Individual market. This near-record trend is driven by inflationary pressure, prescription drug spending and behavioral health utilization.” […]
— Read More: issuesinsights.com
Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
