Robert S. Kiefner, MD, lives in Concord.

This year, just over half of Medicare beneficiaries will be seduced by the sirens of Medicare Advantage advertising. According to Greek mythology, the sirens (creatures who were half bird, half woman) lured unknowing sailors to their deaths upon the rocks with the sweetness of their songs.

The Greek hero Odysseus, upon the counsel of the sorceress Circe, avoided disaster by plugging the ears of his crew with wax and by strapping himself to his ship's mast so that he would be able to hear the song, but not steer his ship onto the rocks.

Though the relentless advertising din is more of a cacophony than sweet music, in this silly season of Medicare enrollment, Medicare Advantage advertisers and enablers are beckoning potential buyers with often false promises of free dental and vision benefits, free food, free medications, free transportation, etc. We would all do well to plug up our ears or strap ourselves to a mast.

In fact, Medicare Advantage is not true Medicare. It is private health insurance which is absurdly over-subsidized by the government. As such, it incorporates into its business plans soul sucking pre-authorization protocols, widespread denial or delay of care, restricted provider networks, and an array of surprise co-pays. Indeed, the business model for Medicare Advantage is as seedy and deceitful as they come.

Advocates for managed care and MA offer tiresome and blatantly inaccurate claims that MA plans reduce costs,...