The issues that I brought to Rep. Melissa Bean's attention, focused on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' failure to enforce their own regulations, including our right to due process via the expedited appeals process. I repeatedly told Nicholas Jordan, the caseworker in Bean's Schaumburg office, verbally and in writing, that I was not asking them to get involved in a quality of care issue.

Jordan's incompetence is incredible. First he sent a letter to the wrong agency. He sent it to Administar, which administers Medicare plans for beneficiaries who are enrolled directly in Medicare. I told him prior to him sending out the letter that the congressional liasion for Medicare + Choice [Medicare Advantage] plans is one Matthew Brown, located in Washington, D.C.

On top of this, Jordan wrote in the letter that I had contacted Bean's office "regarding a problem with the care given to [my] parents." That is exactly what I told him was not the reason why I was contacting Bean. Bean cannot practice medicine, and has no jursidiction over an HMO.

I explained to Jordan that the care issue should have been resolved via the appeals process, but Humana had denied us access to it, through a variety of ways.

A member of Congress certainly has no jurisdiction over a Federal agency, however one of the primary responsibilities of a member of Congress, is to serve as an advocate with Federal agencies, on behalf of the constituents. Perhaps Jordan isn't so dumb, because by sending the wrong message to the wrong people, he saved himself from having to work on my case.

Whatever the reason, this latest fiasco is overwhelming. It is clear that HMO's have no incentive to obey the regulations, because nobody is concerned if the regulations are enforced. That is scary, because the regulations were established to protect the enrollees from shabby health care.

[For the record, I have no affinity for any political group or party.]

Typically, the facts have not gotten in the way of the content of the correspondence between Jordan and Administar.

letter from Jordan to Administar
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letter from Administar to Jordan
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letter to me from Jordan
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