John Oliver recruited real-life couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman to help him create a new commercial this week, this time giving viewers a more honest look at Medicare advantage plans.
The HBO host devoted his main segment on Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight” to discussing Medicare, which began open enrollment on Oct. 15. But more specifically, he addressed Medicare Advantage, which he was quick to point out is actually very different than Medicare.
“Honestly, it probably shouldn’t have the word Medicare anywhere near it, because it’s misleading,” Oliver said.
He explained that Medicare Advantage plans are actually part of a system where the government pays private insurers, like UnitedHealth Group, Humana and more to administer the benefits for those enrolled. They are often advertised on TV, and according to Oliver, have “all the problems of private insurance, but applies to a more vulnerable population.”
Oliver was at least amused by one of those advertisements, which he played just half of, to give audiences the general idea. In it, a fictional couple bicker about the need for a Medicare Advantage plan in overdramatic fashion before eventually touting the ease of it.
“It has it all! Amateur porn-level acting, wild physical gestures, the totally unnecessary undercurrent of a broken marriage and the phrase ‘Right here in our zip code,’” Oliver said. “It is perfect. I also love the disclaimer saying ‘paid actor portrayal,’ as if we’d be so sucked in by the natural delivery of concussed Rob Reiner and over-caffeinated Amy Sedaris here that we might need to be reminded.”
Reiner and Sedaris didn’t actually star in the commercial, for the record. But to wrap up the segment, after Oliver picked apart the flaws of Medicare Advantage plans thoroughly, he did recruit real-life celebrity couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally to make a more honest commercial about these plans.
In this one, Mullally explains to her husband that “It has all the letters of the word Medicare, but none of the actual Medicare!”
“With Medicare Advantage, you’ll get free gym memberships, a grocery allowance, and a nurse will come to our house!” she exclaims.
“For a threesome?” Offerman replies.
“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you Al?” she retorts. “No, not for a threesome. The nurse would come to our house so that she or he can diagnose us with a bunch of diseases that we don’t have!”
The ad calls out every issue with Medicare Advantage that Oliver pointed out, plus has the dramatic twist of Mullally’s character having an affair with the neighbor. You can watch it in the video above.
