Community Chat

[Carmie]

All of the car insurance companies use spokes people and some of them are retired athletes who surely don't need the money.

They too, are trying to lure you into buying the insurance they are advertising. Peyton Manning does insurance, pizza and beer commercials...don't hear anyone complaining about him. They just complain about old people who retired years ago who probably could use some cash, as we all could.

[TW]

I get so angry when I see all these commercial these fraudsters dream up.  I recently watched an Investigative Report about drug prices.  The pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies dictate drug prices and drive them sky high.  They interviewed a pharmacist who gave an example about a blood pressure drug he buys for $40 and is forced to sell for $1400!!!!  Everybody in the U.S. should be in an uproar about all the fraud going on in our health care system.  They also interviewed a retired police officer who has Diabetes and can't afford to buy the Insulin he needs.  What kind of a country are we living in where people can't get the health care they need?  These insurance companies spend Millions on advertisements but don't pay for life saving medications.  Driven by greed and corruption the U.S. has the worst health care in the civilized world.

[TW]

Let's not forget that Medicare had one of the biggest premium price increases ever.  Makes me furious since they don't stop the fraud going on in Medicare.  All these commercials about knee and back braces, incontinense supplies, "do you have Medicare?"  Great than we can defraud Medicare since they are too stupid to stop this fraud.  All the people allowing these companies to send them garbage that's totally useless are drving up our premiums.  Write to your elected officials to fix this.  This is an election year so they should at least pretend that they care and listen to you.  One of the steps necessary to fix this insanity is to get rid of drug commercials that serve only one purpose to drive up prices and make you demand a certain drug which might not even be appropriate for your condition.  Are doctors too stupid to decide which drug is appropriate for you?  Silly me, they are not even allowed to practice good medicine.  There are only 2 countries in the world that allow drug commercials.  The U.S. being one.  I also detest the 'I have a pill to fix this'.  Other countries focus on nutrition and Physiotherapie to imrove conditions.  Drugs are usually last. 

[TW]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@bohogypsy wrote:

Let's also add Tom Selleck and those reverse mortgage commercials. Sad that he needs the money also.

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@bohogypsy 

What the heck are you talking about?  Tom Selleck has starred in the series Blue Bloods for years and has a net worth well above $50 million.   Don't just make things up ...  there's no reason for you to be misleading.

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Exactly.  Since he finds it necessary to deceive seniors I refuse to watch any show or movie he is in.  i wonder what these celebrities are thinking when they accept these roles in commercials clearly designed to deceive older folks.

[TW]

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@qbetzforreal wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@kitcat51 wrote:

Those ads just use the Medicare Advantage Plans to lure people in, transfer them to an insurance agent & then they get the upsell pitch...it's easy to get played when you want or you NEED something for nothing & those companies know it.

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@kitcat51 

OMG ...  seriously????   

You are not clear on how these work.   Advantage plans are not a "lure" .....  and the agents that represent Medicare plans (any of them) do not make a commission on whatever anyone chooses.  It's against the law.  

Based on your comments, I'm curious ....  are you already on Medicare?   

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@Tinkrbl44- the point is these ads are not affliated with Medicare.gov and are essentially a form of telemarketing.  One is calling a boiler room.

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Who talks about agents making money?  These poor people work in boiler rooms making very little money.  The money makers are the Insurance companies who only care about their share holders.

[Duckncover]

They are not Medicare Advantage Plans that are being advertised. They are trying to get you to call the phone numbers where they connect you to a salesperson who will take your zip code and whatever other personal info you share. The "free" benefits are not free at all, they are just different coverage in some Medicare plans. The salespeople are relentless according to a friend who called to get information. You will pay for the "free" benefits and I think it is awful that they are using has-been celebrities who they think will appeal to seniors. It's a shady way to get you to call a salesperson.  I have been with four different Medicare Advantage plans in 7 years thanks to my former employer...United, Aetna, BCBS, Humana. Believe me, nothing is free.  My share of my last MRI was $400. Doesn't sound like much of an advantage until you see what they bill the company for: $17k.

[Cats3000]

The only commercial I've seen Selleck do is a reverse mortgage commercial.  And I gotta tell you, I think he does a great sales job; maybe better than the late Fred Thompson.

[hayseed00]

@geezerette  Me too, Joe is still a looker !!!!

[novamc1]

For  a while, I was amused to see Jimmy Walker doing those commercials.

His screechy advice to call NOW reminds me of a cat being strangled.

Also reminds me of the explosive scream that James Brown used to open his famous song "I FEEL GOOD".

David Letterman played that back on his show one night long ago and told the audience it was  a James Brown car alarm.

[novamc1]

By the way, I don't think Tom Selleck is deceiving anybody about reverse mortgages.

He is speaking to people who might want or need to use some of the equity in their homes to pay bills.

Any senior citizen contemplating this type of home loan should definitely get some expert advice and look hard into the future when deciding to spend down their hard-earned equity.  For some people it could be quite useful.

But Tom Selleck is not trying to convey the idea that he personally needs money.  He comes across as sincere about informing people about this type of option.