OT: Medicare

I know there are forum members who are on Medicare and within another 4 years I will be on it, I hope. Anyways if you are on Medicare are going to be on it soon I think you need to read these two articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/healt ... r=2&ref=us


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/op ... LJY7JzXEIJ

kempo wrote:I know there are forum members who are on Medicare and within another 4 years I will be on it, I hope. Anyways if you are on Medicare are going to be on it soon I think you need to read these two articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/healt ... r=2&ref=us


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/op ... LJY7JzXEIJ

If you believe this quotation from that New York Post article, I've got a beautiful bridge to sell you:

For years, 12 million seniors have relied on these policies, a more market-oriented alternative to traditional Medicare, without the aggravating gaps in coverage.
But as part of its hundreds of billions in Medicare cuts, the Obama one-size-fits-all plan slashes reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage starting next year — herding many seniors back into the government-run program.

On the contrary, so-called "Medicare Advantage" is the result of a Bush-era scam to try to move people off genuine Medicare and into the waiting arms of our "wonderful" private health insurance industry. Ask 10 people who fell for it and have been on "Advantage" for more than 3 years and you will find out how much they regret it. For the health insurance companies, it's been take the taxpayers' money and run.

When you are eligible for real Medicare in 4 years, keep this in mind when the insurance sales people come calling to try to sell you their wonderful "Medicare Advantage" The sooner they pull the plug on that program, the better off seniors and upcoming seniors will be.

Respectfully, Nate

So why is obama trying to extended a another year?

kempo wrote:So why is obama trying to extended a another year?

The article you cite from the NYTimes summarizes the issue well:

The health care law cut payments to private Medicare Advantage plans after many studies found that they were being overpaid. President Obama said the private plans were getting “unwarranted subsidies” that “pad their profits but don’t improve the care of seniors.”

Nate

So he exteneds it a anoother year and over pays another 8 billion? hmmm

kempo wrote:So he exteneds it a anoother year and over pays another 8 billion? hmmm

Haven't you noticed how much money the Health Insurance Lobby, and every other corporate lobby, contributes to both political parties and will contribute to both presidential candidates?

The captains of these industries are not dummies.

Respectfully, Nate

I am looking forward to voting against every person who is currently holding office.

kempo wrote:I am looking forward to voting against every person who is currently holding office.

I'm looking forward to voting for every person who is currently holding office.

Respectfully,

ems

NateS wrote: Ask 10 people who fell for it and have been on "Advantage" for more than 3 years and you will find out how much they regret it. For the health insurance companies, it's been take the taxpayers' money and run.

I have been on Medicare Advantage for 5 years and love it. I have had the coverage from United and then BCBS and they all have their faults but it is FAR better than Medicare alone!

pax
Roger

kempo wrote:So why is obama trying to extended a another year?

You have that backwards, Obuma is trying to end it!

pax
Roger

Roger2 wrote:I have been on Medicare Advantage for 5 years and love it. I have had the coverage from United and then BCBS and they all have their faults but it is FAR better than Medicare alone!

I agree with you. It's far better than medicare alone because in most cases you have the additional 20% to contend with.

How much longer Medicare Advantage Plans will continue to be in existence is anyone's guess. To the best of my knowledge, each year MAP's offer less and charge more.

ems wrote:

Roger2 wrote:I have been on Medicare Advantage for 5 years and love it. I have had the coverage from United and then BCBS and they all have their faults but it is FAR better than Medicare alone!

I agree with you. It's far better than medicare alone because in most cases you have the additional 20% to contend with.

How much longer Medicare Advantage Plans will continue to be in existence is anyone's guess. To the best of my knowledge, each year MAP's offer less and charge more.

I will and have matched my genuine Medicare + Medicare Supplement Policy (Medigap) against any "Medicare Advantage" Plan. I have friends and relatives with horror stories galore about "Medicare Advantage" - they will lure you in with the little perks and later slam the door on proper treatments for serious illness as, for example cancer.

With genuine Medicare plus Medigap there is no 20% to pay and, in at least 48 out of the 50 states, no balance billing. Zero. Zilch. I've been on it since I turned 65 and I am now 76. I gladly paid into Medicare without complaint for many, many years in order to provide for the senior citizens of that day and age. And I am glad for Medicare coverage now.

I also have some background in the insurance industry and in economics and believe me, the sky is not falling. Why do you think the private insurance industry has been rubbing their hands with glee and drooling every time they get the public worked up about how Medicare is losing money and will collapse. Do you really think it is because they want to take over an operation which loses money?

Respectfully, Nate

NateS wrote:

I will and have matched my genuine Medicare + Medicare Supplement Policy (Medigap) against any "Medicare Advantage" Plan.

I agree that the supplement programs are superior but then I checked with United last October when it was permissible to make those kind of changes and the cost was a little over $200 a month while the advantage plan was totally FREE! That plan comes to $2400 a year and my copay's on the advantage plan of 20% on some limited items is way less than that.

You know, when we were kids in the scouts, we also used to sit around the camp fire and tell ghosty - scarry stories but that was all they amounted to, stories.

If Mr. Obuma gets his way and the Supreme Court doesn't declare his Obuma-Care project un-constitutional, the Medicare Advantage plan will disappear in most states except those who caved in on his socialist plans.

kempo wrote:I know there are forum members who are on Medicare and within another 4 years I will be on it, I hope. Anyways if you are on Medicare are going to be on it soon I think you need to read these two articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/healt ... r=2&ref=us


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/op ... LJY7JzXEIJ

Another topic of interest regarding Medicare is competitive bidding. Looks like that will be the norm next year and not just a limited test. I suspect that could very well end the multiple CPAPs under one HCPCA code making it harder to get data capable machines.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/healt ... ntemail0=y

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-newsbreak-comp ... nance.html

Roger2 wrote:I agree that the supplement programs are superior but then I checked with United last October when it was permissible to make those kind of changes and the cost was a little over $200 a month while the advantage plan was totally FREE! That plan comes to $2400 a year and my copay's on the advantage plan of 20% on some limited items is way less than that.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you took all the MA plans and supplement plans and figured out what the total out of pocket cost (premiums + deductibles + copays) would be, particularly if you have a lot of prescriptions or visits to providers, that they would all come out to be within a few hundred dollars of each other. At least that's what I found for myself when comparing all the choices of insurance plans I have available as a Federal retiree.