Welcome to Prescription for Healthcare, a podcast collaboration between the WFHB Local News and Medicare for All Indiana, broadcasting the second Thursday of every month as part of the Local News at 5:15 PM.
This month we interview Gloria Bent from Connecticut where she went through a nightmare of care denial from United Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage coverage while trying to save her husband’s life. This happened after they were forced out of their traditional Medicare program and into Medicare Advantage coverage by their retirement program. After her husband’s death she became an activist, testified before Congress, and co-founded Connecticut State Employees for Medicare Choice
Gloria Bent
Karen – “You’ve been testifying before Congress, working at the Connecticut State Legislature and with your senator, Richard Blumenthal. What has that been like for you?”
Gloria- “I really appreciated working with Senator Blumenthal, and every time we spoke somewhere, it was just another affirmation of the level at which this is prevalent. We would have people telling us, ‘Yes, this has happened to us,’ or, ‘I know people that it’s happened to.’ There was some healing for me in the ability to work with his office and to speak out.”
Karen – “Gloria Bent, what is your prescription for healthcare?”
Gloria – “Ah. Um, I think profit needs to come out of it. I came to realize that the use of artificial intelligence, at least in my husband’s case, it was greed that was the enemy in this, not necessarily the use of the algorithms. I’m a big supporter of Physicians for a National Health Program. I think ultimately Medicare for All or whatever we come up with, a single payer, is the only way out of this. Because anytime you have Wall Street attacking insurance companies because they’re not making enough money for their shareholders, the patient suffers. I was surprised to learn that a Medicare Advantage plan gets a certain amount of money for however many they insure, and what they don’t spend is their’s. Having learned that, I found myself saying, ‘Is it any wonder that the level of denial is at the level that it is?’ Because that’s how they make money. I’ve read articles about UnitedHealthcare being pressured by the powers that be on Wall Street because they were spending too much on their patients and not bringing home enough reward for their shareholders.
Karen – “Gloria, thank you for talking with us today, and thank you for your dedication and your advocacy, your fierce advocacy. I’s been a pleasure to connect with you and talk about what you are doing in Connecticut to stand up and speak out.
Gloria – “Thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for doing what you’re doing in Indiana. I think these stories have to keep being told, so that people are aware.
Karen – “For our listeners, the deeper we go into Medicare Advantage, and we’ve done other interviews as well, and because PNHP did a deep dive into Medicare Advantage plans, the darker it gets. For our listeners who want to follow up on this conversation, a piece by Reed Abelson in The New York Times on June 11th [Private Medicare Plans Often Deny Access to Rehab Care, Analysis Shows] looks at the denials for care in Medicare Advantage plans that are paid a fixed amount to care for patients so they have a financial incentive to spend less on care. And to achieve savings, these plans often deny people expensive specialized inpatient care. Overall, about one in five patients appeal to insurers’ denials, and nearly all were reversed, according to the investigators’ review of denials by 19 companies in June 2024. UnitedHealth, your company, which received the highest number of requests for appeal, reversed 99.7% of its rejections according to the inspector general’s inquiry. The high percentage of denials that were overturned suggest that some people’s care, very personal for you, was inappropriately – delayed because of the insurer’s decision, and others may not have gotten the care they deserved because they never appealed.”
Another recent story from The Washington Post 6/29/26 – After her insurer denied coverage of medication, she ended up in the ER – After switching Medicare Advantage plans, a woman with a weakened immune system got tangled in the preapproval process, which the insurance industry has vowed to improve.
Please Note: Anyone reading or listening to this who is currently covered by a Medicare Advantage plan rather than Traditional Medicare, please do not feel like you should immediately drop your Advantage plan. Your plan may be what is best for you as an individual. What we are saying is that Medicare Advantage as a policy is bad policy, but in your individual situation it may make good sense. Many people with Medicare Advantage plans get good care and are happy with their coverage.
We need to change the policy. You don’t necessarily need to change your coverage, but you should understand that you may face denials and delays that would not come up with traditional Medicare.
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Medicare for All Indiana is the Indiana Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program
“If Not Now, Tell Me When” by Carrie Newcomer is used with permission.
