It is always me.....getting old.

This is what I posted...."If, and not sure whether you are or not, you are implying that Medicaire was free.....sorry..... I though that would allow if I misinterpeted what you typed but I suppose I was not clear. I thought the commas work.....

And I give respect and kindness from where I receive it. Always been my philosophy. I DO remember correcting your typing with humor but again....I am just an old guy and my communication skills must be wavering.

Bottom line we are ALL enjoying Medicaire. Amazing how I, at least ME wondered at a young age about the deduction and now I am happy for it.

Your concern for entitlements or "I'm not for giving anything free to anyone." is certainly a valid point and concern, but this "Many people blame the deficits on entitlement programs. But that's not supported by the budget. " Current US Federal Budget Deficit: Causes, Effects And I can only speak from experience, I have seen first hand what good is done with helping folks out from time to time and the good of the country is served. If you speak about abuse of the system, you are correct.

Lots of medical professionals have been gaming our healthcare system and if you are interested, this is a good article on that subject from Johns Hopkins

Health Care Fraud and Abuse

In any case, I meant no offense and that explains my wordy beginning in replying since I never included you in that post of mine and only mentioned it as I did because you mentioned "getting things for free" and so many on this forum and elsewhere believe that Medicaire is a terrible entitlement.

And thanks for being a "Very proud American" I have served both in battle and in the halls of Washington with many proud Americans. I liked the part about "playing by the rules", something my entire career was based on.

No choice
 

Many employers (especially public employers) require their employees to go on Medicare at age 65. My employer had a great healthcare program but did require employees go on Medicare at age 65. This requirement saved my employer a lot of money... :clap2: Insurance Cos. had billions of profits off their health insurance policies last year. They will fight like hell to stop Medicare for all.

The bigger it gets, the worse it will become. Just ask the doctors that have to manage it. Check out the staffs in the offices. They are simply managing the ridiculous paperwork. Think it will get better with "medicare for all"? Get a grip. Not political? LOL

Federal Government employees and retirees are not required to enroll in Medicare Part B.

The law requires that employer insurance not medicare be primary when still actively working full time; regardless of your eligible age for medicare. That includes spouses which is why they did not and could not make you elect Medicare as your primary insurance. Once your husband retirees you will most likely need to elect Medicare as your primary insurance. In these situations, Medicare will not penalize you for signing up after the eligible age of 65 since employer insurance is considered primary.

Many employer health insurance plans are very comprehensive and can be free or very inexpensive to the employee. This has nothing to do with the effectiveness of a federal insurance like Medicare nor should it be compared to Medicare.

Since a dollar is a dollar to every employer, no matter how you cut it, salaries and benefits = what you get as an employee.

Back to the OPs original comment regarding what people think about Medicare since some are talking about Medicare for all. Does anyone know what Medicare for All includes? Medicare is a Menu of things you can select. The more you select , the more "YOU" pay. The only thing that I think I get, since I am over 65 and qualified (40 quarters worth of payments or more) is Medicare Part A Hospital benefits subject to deductible, condition, and time limitations. Every thing else appears to be Ala Carte for me.

I have worked on software for healthcare providers, and the reason for all that paper work and confusion is the fact there are so many different insurance companies all with differing billing systems.

One of the advantages (cost savings) for healthcare providers in a single payer system is simplification for everyone.

My company terminated coverage for retirees, and left us to "choose" from options on a private exchange. It was a bewildering experience. And when I moved to the Villages and took their United Healthcare supplemental plan, I feel that finally I'm getting what I need.

Cautionary Note About Medicare Advantage
 

Just a side note for those who are thinking of opting for or already have chosen a Medicare Advantage plan, vs. a Medicare Supplemental plan. Advantage plans can be great when you're healthy. The RX plan is included (vs additional with a Supplemental), and you sometimes get gym benefits, dental, some hearing aid coverage, etc., all at a very low cost.

But just know that there are drawbacks when you start to really need medical care. I just went through this with my Mom (now deceased), who got talked into switching from a Supplemental plan to a MA plan. She lived in the Villages, and ended up having to go to the hospital several different times during the last year of her MA plan. Each time she had to pay out-of-pocket for the first 3 or 4 days as an in-patient. Lots of other co-pays from doctors, too. It was terrible, and she didn't have the income to support it. Had she been on the Supplemental, the overwhelming majority of these costs would have been covered. I believe she had to hit $6K or more in out-of-pocket costs on Medicare Advantage before they would pick up the entire tab.

There's a Villages Medicare Advantage plan that many here probably know about that she was on when all of these medical conditions arose. Ugh.

The thing about Medicare Advantage plans is that if you want to switch back to a Supplemental, there are only a few ways you can do so and still get "guaranteed issue". In other words, the companies that sell these Supplemental plans don't have to cover you if you're switching back from MA outside of the guaranteed issuance guidelines. You would have to get a medical evaluation, and then they would decide whether to sell you the plan. I would not want to be in that position. If you have a lot of pre-existing conditions, you could be out of luck.

Here's a snippet from Medicare.com about switching back from MA to traditional Supplemental plans:

Quote:

Once you’ve returned to Original Medicare, you can apply for a Medicare Supplement plan anytime you want – but your acceptance into a plan isn’t always guaranteed. For example, if you have health problems, the insurance company can base its decision on your health history in a process known as medical underwriting. The company can decide not to sell you a plan, or to charge you more because of your health condition.

As for my Mom, she moved from the Villages to Crystal River, FL, to an assisted living facility the last year of her life. Moving outside of a Medicare Advantage plan's coverage area are DOES qualify as one of the ways you can still get guaranteed issue from a Supplemental plan provider without medical underwriting (a physical exam). Since the Villages Medicare Advantage plan was a "regional" plan, and Crystal River was outside the region, it allowed her to switch back and still get on a Supplemental plan without having her health evaluated. Thank God. We went with Plan G, as it was the most comprehensive other than F and had a fairly small yearly deductible.

Anyway, don't take my word for it. Please visit this page from Medicare.gov about what's involved with switching from Medicare Advantage to Medicare Supplemental, and how you can get bit under some circumstances:

Changing from Medicare Advantage to Medicare Supplement

Good luck.

We have Aarp united healthcare complete. It is less expensive then my companies coverage and similar inclusions.

I have been on Medicare with a BCBS and also use the VA for medical care. One has to remember not all companies have the same insurance plans and who says they will continue to cover you once you retire. It is better than what anyone else has to offer. I say Medicare for ALL with the provision if you have an employer that offers better then you can keep that until something changes.
I also love the VA as they deal with a problem and don't try to make up problems just to make money.
Those that are against having a form of Medicare for all just are not thinking this through. When people use the emergency room as a Doctor appointment not only does it take up recourses but the cost is extremely high. A healthy population will be one that is at it's lowest cost per person.
This has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats, it has ALL to do with us as a society.

The cost would be absurd
 

There is no free lunch. The idea that Medicare for all would be cheaper for people is ridiculous. Either the government will run up more debt, or we will see huge tax increases, or both. Plus, Medicare rarely covers leading edge treatments.

I am one person who wishes to see at least a portion of our medical system remain private. Vast improvements could be made if politicians were not so bought off (both parties) by the industry.

Medicare I believe is great but it should be the same price for all Medicare members. Drugs should be competitively priced same price for all countries

I think the goverment overspends for contracts but on the other hand I wouldn't want the private sector to control our military.

Medicare for all is not the answer. I pay for my health insurance because I am not old enough for Medicare and my coverage sucks. When I was on a employer based my insurance had vision and dental which were with doctors that were excellent.