MAGA Republicans Are Putting AI In Charge of Medicare. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
QUICK READ: Trump is coming after Medicare. His WISeR pilot program requires seniors to get prior authorizations, which increase administrative costs and diminish access to life-saving care. Worse, AI companies, who were also large donors to Trump’s Presidential campaign, will decide what gets approved and denied, rather than your doctor. Cash incentives are offered based on the dollar amounts of the denied claims.
CONTENTS:
BACKGROUND
Trump promised to save Social Security and never touch Medicare. Surprise! He lied.
Coming this January to 6 states near you, including Washington, will be a fundamental change to Medicare. The Republican party, led by the great medical minds of Trump and TV personality, Dr. Oz, are rolling out a pilot program titled “Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model,” requiring seniors to get prior authorization for a range of critical Medicare services.
The imaginary “death panels” the GOP used to talk about to scare us away from passing the Affordable Care Act are really coming this time.
While the GOP claims prior authorizations are cost saving, in fact they increase administrative costs and provider burdens while diminishing access to critical, life-saving care and patient-doctor time. Currently, Medicare requires almost no prior authorizations and is a wildly successful program, partly for this very reason.
Worse, your doctors will no longer decide which procedures are you receive. AI will decide. In turn, AI companies will be paid based on the dollar amount of the procedures they deny—giving these profit-driven companies that contributed large sums to Trump’s Presidential campaign a cash incentive to refuse patients’ medical care.
U.S. representative Suzan DelBene is fighting against the program: “WISeR is typical for a Trump administration initiative…they don’t consult Congress…have no date, no plan, no strategy, and people’s health care is being impacted.”
While progressives are pushing for healthcare as a human right and wish to expand affordable healthcare to everyone, MAGA Republicans are fighting to take it all away.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Maxine Dexter (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Janelle Bynum (OR-05)
Oregon City office: 503-387-8651 |DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)
Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Your constituents believe healthcare is a human right and want affordable healthcare for all. MAGA Republicans are fighting to limit healthcare benefits we receive. Please use your bully pulpit to inform your constituents about the attack on Medicare coming this January and fight against these cuts as if our very lives were at stake, because, in certain cases, they really will be.
