If you want to see what a government run health care system looks like, you need go no further than countries like Canada or Great Britain. A sample of recent headlines from the three leading British newspapers, the Times, the Daily Mail and The Telegraph bear our warnings:

88 year old military vet with age-related macular degeneration of the eye which causes blindness if not treated was told he had to go blind before he would be treated with injections that would prevent blindness

Jr doctors are permitted to work only a 48 hr work week which results in a shortage of doctors and doctors' refusal to see patients after they have worked their limits

Dentists who have met their quota of patients for the year stop seeing patients because they do not get paid more for seeing more patients

Average wait of 7 weeks to receive diagnosis

Patients needing treatment in the U.K. head to Malaysia for treatment, which is now termed "medical tourism"

Canada's National Health Program is in no better shape than the English system according to reports from US observers

Socialized medicine is always a SINKING SHIP!!

Originally Posted by hulababy

If you want to see what a government run health care system looks like, you need go no further than countries like Canada or Great Britain. A sample of recent headlines from the three leading British newspapers, the Times, the Daily Mail and The Telegraph bear our warnings:

88 year old military vet with age-related macular degeneration of the eye which causes blindness if not treated was told he had to go blind before he would be treated with injections that would prevent blindness

Jr doctors are permitted to work only a 48 hr work week which results in a shortage of doctors and doctors' refusal to see patients after they have worked their limits

Dentists who have met their quota of patients for the year stop seeing patients because they do not get paid more for seeing more patients

Average wait of 7 weeks to receive diagnosis

Patients needing treatment in the U.K. head to Malaysia for treatment, which is now termed "medical tourism"

Canada's National Health Program is in no better shape than the English system according to reports from US observers

Socialized medicine is always a SINKING SHIP!!

I am hoping that sometime before the Presidential Debates that Mitt comes out with a specific health care plan. I say that to say this. It is not enough to just say we are going to abolish Obamacare--- you need a specific plan to replace it. In addition, most know it will have no chance to get through the Senate unless we (The Grand ol' Party) wins the Senate.

Medicare then is a sinking ship. Wait aren't most of us on Medicare?

No doubt our health care is a "mess" ----just have a need to use it when you have a serious and complicated illness. Bottom line if Romney doesn't have something besides "I'm going to abolish Obamacare" he is likely to come out on the "short in" of that debate. Lets hope his Advisor's and staff come up with something before too long.

Has anyone heard of it? It's the package that will be fully implemented in 2014 (a list of what Medicare will and will not pay for beneficiaries). I can tell you one item that has not been included in this package --- nonemergency ambulance transport! So, this mean these transports will not be covered/paid by Medicare when HealthCare Reform is fully implemented. What this means for Medicare beneficiaries---if you have a medically necessary reason for a nonemergency ambulance transport (for example if you are bed confined and in a nursing home and need transport for treatment), you're on your own! How will you get there; who knows? There is no impact on Medicaid beneficiaries (their transports will still be covered). We've already contacted our Congressman regarding this and several other items regarding Health Care Reform.

Originally Posted by kgmram

Has anyone heard of it? It's the package that will be fully implemented in 2014 (a list of what Medicare will and will not pay for beneficiaries). I can tell you one item that has not been included in this package --- nonemergency ambulance transport! So, this mean these transports will not be covered/paid by Medicare when HealthCare Reform is fully implemented. What this means for Medicare beneficiaries---if you have a medically necessary reason for a nonemergency ambulance transport (for example if you are bed confined and in a nursing home and need transport for treatment), you're on your own! How will you get there; who knows? There is no impact on Medicaid beneficiaries (their transports will still be covered). We've already contacted our Congressman regarding this and several other items regarding Health Care Reform.

This is a reason to have a supplemental policy like those offered by AARP. Medicare covers about 80% and your supplement covers the other 20%. Medicare is a good safety net but does not cover everything. Yes, those will still be offered.

Speaking of that nursing home. Are you expecting Medicare to be picking up the whole tab on that, too? Guess again. That is why long term care insurance is being sold. Maybe that would have been a good investment some years ago when it was more affordable than when you are old.

Currently, Medicare does cover nonemergent transports. The POINT is that Medicare beneficiaries are having to deal with more and more cuts to their benefits package while Medicaid beneficiaries are not. And no, Medicare does not cover long term care at nursing homes (but Medicaid does), but it does currently cover transports from those facilities. Thank goodness I'm not OLD enough, as you put it, to have to worry with it, but I am concerned for my parents (hence why I'm trying to have some input---as should beneficiaries currently being impacted)!

Originally Posted by buggyone

This is a reason to have a supplemental policy like those offered by AARP. Medicare covers about 80% and your supplement covers the other 20%. Medicare is a good safety net but does not cover everything. Yes, those will still be offered.

Speaking of that nursing home. Are you expecting Medicare to be picking up the whole tab on that, too? Guess again. That is why long term care insurance is being sold. Maybe that would have been a good investment some years ago when it was more affordable than when you are old.

As a general rule, if Medicare doesn't cover an item, supplemental insurance doesn't cover it, either.

Originally Posted by Carla B

As a general rule, if Medicare doesn't cover an item, supplemental insurance doesn't cover it, either.

Thank you! I believe the people who have worked and paid into these programs have a right to know and should be notified with a right to comment as to what and when items are being cut from them. And, it's unfair to expect someone to go PURCHASE a supplemental policy for what they have already paid taxes. Eventually, it will be to the point that the supplemental policies cost as much as individual policies. So, why have we paid taxes into these programs for our entire working life if we will still have to purchase what should have been covered in the benefits package.

Originally Posted by buggyone

This is a reason to have a supplemental policy like those offered by AARP. Medicare covers about 80% and your supplement covers the other 20%. Medicare is a good safety net but does not cover everything. Yes, those will still be offered.

Speaking of that nursing home. Are you expecting Medicare to be picking up the whole tab on that, too? Guess again. That is why long term care insurance is being sold. Maybe that would have been a good investment some years ago when it was more affordable than when you are old.

AARP's Financial Gain from Healthcare Law

"Washington, DC – Ways and Means Committee Members Wally Herger (R-CA), Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Charles Boustany (R-LA) today released “Behind the Veil: The AARP America Doesn’t Know,” a new report exposing the conflict between AARP’s drive for profits, the best interests of its members and the organization’s tax exempt status. The report, which is the culmination of more than a year-long investigation, concludes that AARP stands to make upwards of one billion dollars over the next ten years as a result of the new health care law through the sale of their endorsed-Medicare insurance products.......

As a result of the new health care law, the Obama Administration estimates more than 7 million seniors will lose their current Medicare Advantage plans, resulting in a massive migration of seniors to Medigap plans. AARP is the nation’s leading provider of Medigap plans and has a contract in which AARP financially gains for every additional Medigap enrollee.

Based on low, mid and high-range estimates, AARP stands to financially gain, over and above the millions of dollars they currently receive from United, between $55 million and $166 million in 2014 alone as a result of new Medigap enrollees stemming from the health care law’s cuts to MA, which AARP strongly endorsed.

Under the midrange estimate and under their current contract, AARP’s financial gain from the health care law could exceed $1 billion during the next 10 years. This is because AARP will see their royalty payments increase as seniors are forced out of MA plans and buy AARP Medigap plans instead."

A recent article pointed out the increasing shortage of Nurse educators in American Colleges and Universities which will no doubt, have a future impact on the number of nurses available to treat the anticipated increase in number of people who will be added with the implementation of the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare).

So how is this being addressed?

Thousands of new IRS Agents to be hired who will be responsible for making sure that Americans have medical insurance. Then there will be the Administrators who will be responsible for levying of fines on corporations that do not provide medical coverage and contraception services to employees. There will no doubt be an increase in DOJ Lawyers needed to handle all of the court cases.

More government employees and no increase in Doctors and Nurses. Sounds like a real great plan from Washington.

Originally Posted by hulababy

If you want to see what a government run health care system looks like, you need go no further than countries like Canada or Great Britain. A sample of recent headlines from the three leading British newspapers, the Times, the Daily Mail and The Telegraph bear our warnings:

88 year old military vet with age-related macular degeneration of the eye which causes blindness if not treated was told he had to go blind before he would be treated with injections that would prevent blindness

Jr doctors are permitted to work only a 48 hr work week which results in a shortage of doctors and doctors' refusal to see patients after they have worked their limits

Dentists who have met their quota of patients for the year stop seeing patients because they do not get paid more for seeing more patients

Average wait of 7 weeks to receive diagnosis

Patients needing treatment in the U.K. head to Malaysia for treatment, which is now termed "medical tourism"

Canada's National Health Program is in no better shape than the English system according to reports from US observers

Socialized medicine is always a SINKING SHIP!!

i have neighbors and friends here in the villages who are also canadian citizens. i hear no complaints about the healthcare system that they are part of. it is unconscionable that in this country there are many, many people without any healthcare options. the canadians that i know cannot understand how any civilized society would deny healthcare, and leave it all up to the individual. hats off to obama and the congress for passing the healthcare initiative; just think of how much better off we would be already if hilary clinton's plans had been put into place when she was first lady. we would already have healthcare for all!

Obamacare includes a mandate that EVERYONE buy government - approved health insurance or face a PENALTY. This mandate is unconstitutional and violates personal liberty.
Obamacare includes a requirement that employers with 50 or more employees provide government approved health insurance or face a FINE. This mandate will hit workers through lower wagesw and FEWER JOBS, shareholders lower profits and consumers through HIGHER PRICES.

Obamacare spends more than $400 billion in the first 10 yrs to subsidize health ins offered through government designed exchanges. This will discourage work and encourage employers to discontinue offering health insurance.
Medicare cuts will jeopardize seniors access to care and services. Advisory board put in place to decide if YOU are worth deserve that new hip.
Obamacare includes $500 billion in NEW taxes. Many of these will be passed on to YOU the consumer in higher prices.
Government regulation - adds layers of regulation and benefit mandates on insurers and the insurance maker and on employer health plans. These provisions will increase costs, destabilize the market, and reduce consumer choice.

SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLAN!! COMING SOON TO LIBERALS EVERYWHERE.

The SCOTUS says otherwise about its constitutionality.

I believe that conservatives thought the same about Social Security and Medicare when they first came to being the law of the land. Now, just about all of the residents of The Villages take full advantage of Social Security and Medicare. The same will happen under the ACA. There will be griping at the beginning but in several years, it will be a most common feature of our lives that we will assume it has always been around.

Remember that Medicare and Social Security were never meant to be the sole means of support but a good safety net.

In these troubled and trying economic times...with deficit reduction and the economy on top of the list of our country issues, has anyone really looked at the cost, which continues to rise, and how we are going to pay for this ?

Interesting if you do !!

This always brings out the folks to try and put folks on a guilt trip...this is not about the benefits but about how we ever in the world will pay for this

Originally Posted by buggyone

I believe that conservatives thought the same about Social Security and Medicare when they first came to being the law of the land. Now, just about all of the residents of The Villages take full advantage of Social Security and Medicare. The same will happen under the ACA. There will be griping at the beginning but in several years, it will be a most common feature of our lives that we will assume it has always been around.

Remember that Medicare and Social Security were never meant to be the sole means of support but a good safety net.

Spot on!