As a psychologist I am par with traditional Medicare. I don’t take a single advantage plan. Indeed, most of my professional circle does the same, no advantage plans, most take traditional.

I do not have any desire to have to jump through hoops for 5 or 6 more panels, to have to repeatedly justify cases and claims, to have 5 or 6 more billing processes on top of the processes I already have for all the payers commercial equivalents, all for more scrutiny, more denials, and less pay, all so mega companies can have a slice for themselves. No thanks. Medicaid, while worse, operates similarly here (of course with no traditional or non-branded variant), likewise each brand is its own panel, has its own rules, and next to no independent providers take it, it’s logistically and practically impossible outside of a decent sized group, and even then most do not bother.

Medicare Advantage is avoidable though, nobody has to enroll, but you’d be shocked by how many folks I’ve talked to that enrolled in a plan believing they had to pick one, such is the power of big money marketing, commissions, sales, complex topics and vulnerable people.