# Question about Medicare Crap

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medicare-crap/926675>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 28, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medicare-crap/926675 "2020-11-28T16:10:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medicare-crap/926675/41 "2020-11-30T16:16:53Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Maybe it’s just me but I got the vibe you meant something close to “Advantage plans are nothing but a high profit ripoff versus the less profitable Supplement plans that offer good value.”

That’s close to what I meant, but I don’t think they are a ripoff, per se. I contend that they offer more profit to the seller than the Supplemental plans, which is why Advantage plans are more heavily advertised.

> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Because the price to the consumer of Advantage plans is zero, you can convert a lot of prospects into sales for very little expense in customer acquisition.

This is true. And once the consumer is in the fold, so to speak, it’s much easier to convert them to a Supplemental plan, which I think will happen to many customers, once they experience a major medical incident which costs them large out-of-pocket costs.

> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> If you watch the Golf channel you’ll see lots of Supplement ads. CBS not so much.

I don’t watch the Golf channel. But I see the Advantage plan ads primarily on CNN and MSNBC, whose programming, as far as I know, isn’t targeted to a specific income demographic.

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medicare-crap/926675/42 "2020-11-30T16:34:07Z")

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> [@aurora\_maire](#):
>
> What drives me crazy is that it is all so random.

What are you talking about? All you have to do is predict the specific health issues you will experience next year. If you choose wrong, that’s just poor planning on your part, no? [Sarcasm off]

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**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medicare-crap/926675/43 "2020-11-30T16:54:10Z")

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I see the Advantage plan ads on specific stations, the digital sub-channels like Start TV. And although the channels themselves may not be targeted to a specific income demographic, I see the ads during daytime programming ( not primetime), multiple ads within a one hour program, and the advertising when Medicare open enrollment ends tend to be Tom Selleck selling reverse mortgages , Ernie Hudson selling that car service plan, ads for “final expense insurance” , ads for the Hurrycane or devices to help people pull their socks up. It’s clear that the _ads_ are targeted to a specific demographic and going by the quality of the ads, I’m sure the price of ads on these stations at 10 am on Tuesday is a factor as well.,

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