John H. Olsen
PO Box 721043
Roselle, IL. 60172-1043

December 13, 2004

U.S. Senator Richard Durbin
332 Dirksen Building
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Durbin:

On behalf of my parents, I asked for assistance from several members of your staff, but I was turned down.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is enabling Humana Inc. and Advocate Health Partners, to circumvent the Medicare grievance and appeals process, and are denying my parents' their Medicare rights.

It is my understanding that one of the responsibilities of a senator's staff is to assist constituents who are having problems with Federal agencies. I have provided several staff members with the "black letter law", as well as documents and testimony supporting the charges that I made against Medicare + Choice organizations, Humana Inc., and Advocate Health Partners, as well as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A caseworker in your Chicago office was so naive about Medicare that she insisted on referring me to a state agency. She also told me that it sounded to her that my problem is that Humana, Advocate, and the CMS, are not telling me what I want them to tell me. I told her that I want them to tell me what the law requires them to tell me, but she could not distinguish the difference.

I also sent numerous supporting documents to one of your legislative correspondents in Washington. She acknowleged receiving them, but that was all anybody said about the issue.

It is inexcusable that senatorial staff members are refusing to assist constituents in securing their Medicare rights. Are you aware of what your staff is doing?

Sincerely,
John H. Olsen