Do you like Medicare?
 

PLEASE don't make this political. I'm watching the Democratic debate on healthcare. Many want Medicare for all. I had healthcare covered by my company (large company) which included prescription drugs, vision and dental. Cost was relatively low. I'm now on Medicare. I prefer my company's healthcare! The dental was better, vision was better, and I paid less for some prescription drugs.
I'm curious... are you happier on Medicare? (Is your Medicare supplemented by a company?). Or would you prefer to be on your employer's healthcare plan?
Can we please have an intelligent, non-political discussion on this?

I have regular Medicare with BCBS supplement. This, after a corporate medical plan. I found a few insignificant trade offs, but I do like Medicare overall. I suspect part of the experience might be what someone’s portion of the payment would be under a corporate plan, what kind of health issues they may be experiencing, etc. so far, it’s worked for me, and everyone I’ve worked with accepts the plans I have.

I consider myself lucky that hubby still works full-time and we get insurance from his job, as I do NOT want to go on Medicare.

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Medicare (regular, not Advantage) pay about 80% of covered expenses and don't most people buy supplemental coverage AND drug coverage in addition to paying their monthly premium to the govt? Assuming that is accurate, when these people talk about "Medicare for All" are they talking about a plan where everybody pays $140 (or whatever the current monthly premium is) for 80% coverage AND then either pay the 20% balance plus drug costs out of pocket OR are they using "Medicare for All" as a euphemism for universal healthcare that pays for everything for everyone by increasing our taxes to match what people pay in Europe? Serious question, as I am not watching/listening to those people debate.

kathy

Although I am in no hurry to get any older, I can't wait until we become eligable for Medicare. The cost of insurance for someone who is not covered by an employer, and is not yet 65, is absolutely crippling! The problem is that I have no confidence that Medicare won't be totally gutted because of our Countrie's massive and unstanable budget defect and corresponding debt. Anyone who lives in the "Medicare for all" fanticy world clearly does not recognize the reality of the long term implications of unsustainable debt!

Please note that "everybody" doesn't pay the current monthly premium of about $140 for Medicare Part B. It is based on your income, and some pay as much as $460 per month for the same Medicare Part B coverage as those paying $140.

I looked forward to Medicare as I could finally get some things, at least partially paid for (had to pay a co-pay) that our insurance wouldn't cover before. I've been on Medicare for nearly 13 yrs now and it's been fine. Some folks did work for companies that had the cadillac of ins.---we did not. Bully for them! Back in the day we did too...but things began to change for many businesses where it wasn't sustainable for them.

I was on Medicare, but i am now on VA Healthcare. There is no comparison. VA is vastly better. VA healthcare is socialized medical care. The main reason I believe the VA system is better is that there is no profit motive in the VA system. The system is motivated to keep me healthy since that reduces their costs. Medicare pays for commercial healthcare, where the motive is to treat as many me's as possible - to make a profit, but no motive cure anyone.

There are many problems with employer provided for profit healthcare the first being you can't easily change employers - you soul is owed to the company store.

Any system that allows the for profit healthcare systems to black mail us for whatever we can pay is doomed to bankrupt the country.

Healthcare can only work if it is treated as a right and the industry pricing is regulated to permit reasonable profits based on results (ie. VA system) and not profit.

This is just another tax. Imagine if a hamburger cost say $4.00 at McDonalds below a specified income level and up to $12.00 if one's income exceeded a certain amount.

Yes, I am aware. If I had moved from hubby's insurance to Medicare a few years ago I would have been paying the maximum for much less coverage (because of his income). Of course my SS payments are not calculated on his earnings, but on what I earned during my lifetime (not even in the same ballpark). Why am I not surprised ha!

k.

I finally earned Medicare. Now they want to give it to.... Cheaper than what I had. Better?

Medicare + supplement has taken care of 100% of our medical needs over the years.

Complaints? None of significance!!

On a regular basis there seems to be a push for a voucher system. That should be a major oncern.

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I was far better off with company paid insurance which covered drugs, dental, hospital, doctors, services and vision, with essentially no deductible. My costs were essentially $2000 /year for myself and wife. My Medicare, Supplement, Drug, and Dental plan monthly costs are $350/Month making our annual enrollment cost for myself and wife $8400. This could be reduced by using Medicare Advantage but there are personal choices being made. Additional expenses are also incurred due to deductibles and limits.

But what is Medicare? And what are the costs?

First there is Med Part A (Simply stated), it is hospital insurance. It requires a 10 year pay in to qualify. If not qualified, it costs about $437/Month. I qualify. There is a $1364 deductible for inpatient service each benefit period. It is limited Co-insurance $0 patient cost first 60 days, patient costs exceeding $341 Days 61 to 90. Skilled Nursing $0 patient costs first 20 Days. Patient costs exceeding $170/day for days 21 to 100. With some exceptions, you get to pay the rest.


Next is Med Part B (Simply Stated), it is medical expenses outside of hospital but for the most part excluding Drugs, Vision, and Dental. If qualified the Premium is about $135 per month (Income dependent). There is an annual $185 deductible and coverage is about 80% (ACA took a small part away). Only stated services covered and services limited to facilities accepting Medicare established rate.


Part B costs not covered by Medicare can be covered by a separately purchased Supplement or Medicare Advantage program. Medicare Advantage programs vary and likely limit services to a specific network of providers. Medicare Advantage programs must provide the same services that the original Medicare covers but generally more Supplements pay portions of costs not covered by Medicare Part A and B. A good supplement will cost around $150/month.


Drug plans are too complicated to Simplify as are Dental Plans

Agree .... Medicare and AARP J Plan serves us very well. Never see a bill, but it does not come cheap! I guess it depends what you want to pay for in life. If you are a young retiree you probably would not want to spend the money on this type of plan, if you are an older retiree you really really need it.

I have Care Plus Medicare Advantage and I love it. I never pay anything for a primary care doctor visit, and drug costs are reasonable for me, but I don't take any daily medicines, so I can't speak for chronic care medications. But my doctor told me that as long as I'm healthy, it's a good deal for me. Once you are sick and want to investigate alternative care options, you'll find that the Medicare Advantage programs will restrict you, as they are HMO's or PPO's and you can only use approved providers. I'm not saying you won't get good care, but for instance, if you learn of a promising treatment provided at University Hospital Shands in Gainesville, you'll likely find they won't cover it.

The gentleman that said many regional hospitals would close if the medicare for all proposal went into effect was correct. The medicare reimbursements do not cover the cost of operations for most hospitals. They rely on what is known as "private pay", or payment from many corporate plans.
So, "free" healthcare is, of course, a misnomer. While working, one pays 1.45% of gross wages into the medicare plan .. That is without an income limit. That is separate from the 6.2% everyone pays into social security for wages up to $ 132,000 / year. If a person reaches age 65 and is still earning a handsome amount of money (perhaps through smart investments), and they want tobe covered by mediacre, which is their right, they will be further taxed, as commented above, by up to $ 500 / month for medicare and Part D (drug) coverage.

It is folly to think that a secondary system would not be developed for private pay.. with doctors and other medical personnel giving preference to those that buy into a more expensive system. The waiting lines for people needing serious care and having only "base" medicare would grow, and the law of unintended consequences would once again prevail. There would be little incentives for bright well meaning young people to pursue a medical career, because, of course, their current salaries would be looked at as outrageous, even though they devoted ten or more years after college to pursue a specialty and their passion. Oh, and if they came from a family of means, they would be addled with enormous medical school debt, while their poorer classmates got a free ride.

Those greedy drug companies ?? Why spend research and development money on a cure for cancer ? Maybe they shouldn;t have developed Lipitor, which has helped many Villagers lead a longer life .. Or a number of other specialty drugs .. The law of Unintended Consequences is very nasty .. and remember the Free Lunch Theorem .. There is no such thing as a FREE lunch

Do we like Medicare...no. For us, our employer plan was better. I guess the problem is that not everyone has a good employer plan. I really doubt Medicare for all will be better for all.

My last employer (after changing ins. cos every year) finally cancelled everyone's healthcare and decided to give everyone a couple of hundred dollars a month. Luckily I had just turned 65 and went on Medicare. Those in their 30's did well. Those in 40's bought terrible insurance that had extremely high deductibles and those in 50's and older were left unable to buy affordable healthcare. Those that are happy with current in., might lose it at any time.
Medicare Advantage has been excellent for me, no procedure has ever been denied. Obamacare worked for my wife when she retired early, would still be working if not for Obamacare.

Medicare for "all" would be a disaster....The Govt cant run anything....example post office, social security...medicare...and they want to put everyone on medicare???...I dont think so!!

I understand the fortunate people who had great benefits not liking Medicare. I am happy for them but so very jealous that during their working career they had the advantage over others because of a benevolent employer or collective bargaining or whatever reason extended them one of the main concerns the head of a family has for his family, decent medical coverage.

At the beginning of my career once I unloaded my own company because good benefits were killing me. I wanted badly to take care of those who gave their work-life up for me. In the middle of my career, I worked for the most honorable man that gave us benefits that were fit for a king. I will always be grateful to that man. We had some rough years medically speaking and his great coverage saved us. At the end of my career, we paid about $250 a week and had limitations that were unbelievable. My wife one son and myself were covered and the office visits covered for the year was capped at 10 visits. The deductibles were sky-high, it wasn't good.

The Villages Medicare Advantage is Heaven On Earth for us. I am grateful beyond words for the security it provides.

Whatever the candidates are speaking of at this early point in the election game is a big zero for me. They will change many times from now until the election. I think its the last 30 days before the election are the days that count the most.

I'm not for giving anything free to anyone.

Is there any irony in seeing a poster whose ID is Navy saying the government can't run anything? The government runs the military and lots of people seem proud of our military. It's not perfect but it is the best in the world, right?

If, and not sure whether you are or not, you are implying that Medicaire was free.....sorry, as a young guy used to complain about that deduction each paycheck, but now along with a Medgap policy (that I also pay for), it is working great for us anyway.

So many think that Medicaire was not paid for by the participants....and not true

Well, sadly, I have to agree with what you said if we add the word "today". However, to put it into perspective -

1. The post office was the best in the world and many countries sent they people here etc learn how we designed and ran ours. It is the advent of email, FedEx and UPS that killed our post office and not so much the government which actually has little to do with its operation and virtually nothing to do with funding.

2. Social Security currently supports over 60 million seniors (my wife and I included) and has been self funding since the beginning. We get our checks every month on time and have never experienced any issues of any kind when working with the SS. Unlike private for profit retirement options it is GUARNTEED by the safest most reliable insurer in the world - the US GOVERNMENT. I sleep easy at night knowing my checks will be coming for the rest of my life. I am 70 and current trust fund exhaustion is predicted to happen in 2035 if NOTHING is done to fix it. At which point if I am still around I will see up to 80% of my current checks. No other retirement plan in the world can claim that security.

3. Medicare is rated by international organizations as one of the best liked socialized medical systems in the world. While not perfect it provides excellent healthcare (paid for by each of us while working) that is in general well liked by over 60 million American seniors.

4. And finally one you did not mention, the VA Healthcare system which in fact is run by the government. Other than some recent issues with overcrowding (mainly do to underfunding by the government) I can say from personal experience of both myself and my wife that it is a fantastic system. Better than any of the for profit systems available. The VA healthcare is a PURE socialized medical care system paid for out of the government general funds (not paid for by all workers like the SS and medicare) and it is operated exclusively by the government. I happen to think the proposed voucher system is the worst idea ever thought up and will destroy the VA Healthcare by converting it into a for profit system. Just look at what happened to college tuitions when the government started providing vouchers to students (guaranteeing student loans) for an example of what is going to happen to the VA.

I do not know what experience you have had with the VA health care (with a navy user name, I assume you were in the Navy), and if it was negative, I am sorry to hear that, I know some veterans have had and do have problems. No system is perfect, but it is a stunningly excellent system in the areas I have seen and used.

I totally agree, I firmly believe everyone in our country should spend some time as
part of a huge government operation such as the USPO, or any branch of the military and I think
it might give them second thoughts about having the government run and manage healthcare for all!

I agree. I had a Federal job for 35 years, and the average person has no idea how much waste, incompetence, and inefficiency there is in the Government. What bothered me the most was the overstaffing just because the agency had money to spend. There were hundreds of people making over 100K per year and doing little or no work at all.

Private insurance started out great in the 70s when I began working. No premiums for a single person and dental was included. Companies even offered a choice of plans! In later years I had to pay premiums which kept going up and up; same with co-pays. My last working years were chintzy, bargain basement policies.

My company folded when I was 63 and Obabacare was awesome for me; back to the days of the 70s with regard to available care, specialists, and $32/month premium. No dental, though.

I would have been very happy to stay with my BCBS plan through the Marketplace but was aged out. Given that I have a couple of chronic diseases, I should not have chosen an Advantage plan but went with the less expensive option at the time. I think I'm the unhappiest I've ever been with my current plan.

Some employer's plans were great, some good, and many were barely adequate. Everyone's experience is different. If your cost was low, it was because your employer paid most of it.
Once you turn 65, it doesn't matter what you had or what you would prefer. Medicare is the only game in town. Some employers may provide your supplement coverage, most don't. Learn to be happy with what you have.

Just to clarify the above: In our case my husband's employer pays most of his premium but none of mine. If he is still working when he turns 65 I assume they will make him sign up for Medicare Part B and make his work coverage supplemental. But since they don't pay any of my premium they didn't care if I signed up for Medicare or stuck with their plan when I hit 65, so I stuck with what I had. Fingers crossed he keeps that job for a long time!

k.

You are correct, you are wrong that I implied anything about FREE for me. I am a Very Proud American and believe in paying my own way and playing by the rules in all things.

Medicare has turned out to be fantastic for me. I have a very positive attitude about most things. I am grateful for the coverage and care it has provided since we landed in this beautiful place.

Sir, do you remember the day you alerted me for a spelling error? I do! I typed THE and it was supposed to be THEY. Just returning the favor because of the kindness you have shown me since you started posting again and I have been a member of TOTV'S. With all due respect.

Company health insurance was excellent but that changed. No more PPO, now healthcare savings plans. Fine for younger healthier but a concern for the older worker. I hit Medicare just as the PPO option disappeared.

The ACA protects people with preexisting conditions. No special pool or extraneous hoops to jump. That should be of concern to all non Medicare participants.

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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.