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Originally Posted by Boomer
Thank you.
In many situations, the percentage of an American family’s income that goes to pay for health insurance is ridiculous. Premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs grow bigger each year — even for those who have access to plans through employers.
I have often wondered if those who are so vehemently opposed to an OPTION being offered by the federal government have ever looked at the reality of what working people face today in the scramble for health insurance coverage.
The elder-boomers (and those older) now have Medicare available to them. The very first boomers born are about 9 years into Medicare. The cost of health insurance to that age group — when they were still working — was not much more than a blip on their budget’s radar.
But ask anyone still working how much their employer health insurance costs now. Ask your adult kids.
Speaking of Medicare, I have several friends who have (or had) to continue to work until age 65 or had to wait for a younger spouse to turn 65 so Medicare could kick in. Working until 65 is often a choice made strictly based on health insurance coverage.
Health insurance? The solution can be in the middle with a Buy-In to a federally sponsored program available. Medicare works and I have not heard any of the self-absorbed “I got mine, too bad you don’t have yours” crowd volunteer to give up their Medicare.
The SC case is to be heard soon. I think there are a lot of people who have no idea what is happening behind the scenes because they do not look beyond what they are being told.
Back to Covid as a pre-existing condition — anybody who thinks insurance companies will miss the opportunity to term it a pre-existing condition in order to increase premium costs or to deny coverage is not paying attention.
The pre-existing conditions protection can be knocked out by the SC in their ruling on the case to dismantle the entire ACA. As I understand it, because part of it is already gone, the argument is that is what should render the rest of it unable to stand — and that is where the pre-existing conditions protection is — for now. (Loophole? I guess we will find out.)
The answer to our health insurance crisis is somewhere in the middle, but divisive emotions are running so high in this country right now that logic and clarity are getting trampled. We are in the throes of serious problems being purposely exacerbated instead of solutions being planned and offered.
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Please explain how a government option would be less expensive.
Traditional Medicare does not pay for the full cost of care. Hospitals and medical providers rely on the higher reimbursement from traditonal insurance to make up the difference. (Yes, those under age 65 are subsidizing those of us on Medicare.)
The only example of costs truly being managed better are Medicare Advantage plans (offered by private carriers) which accept per capita reimbursement equal to the regional average cost per person through traditional Medicare. Many are able to manage costs and provide full coverage, including pharmaceuticals, for no out of pocket premium.
HHS realizes that government administered programs are not as efficient as private companies, that is why claims payment and medical management are contracted out to private companies (often the area Blue Cross plan).