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I’d opt for private care - even at private care prices. Worth every penny to not sit in a waiting list for care.
And especially so when those in front of you are there primarily because of their own poor choices of lifestyle; why should the responsible minority suffer more and suffer longer because of the stupidity of others?
No medical practice is required to accept Medicare reimbursement. While most do, they limit the number of patients dependent upon Medicare reimbursement.
Private insurance reimburses at a higher rate.
Traditional Medicare does not pay for everything. This is why many have private Medi-gap supplemental plans.
Advantage Plans May be a better option for reasonably healthy people who are willing to accept narrow networks of providers.
The use of private supplemental insurance is increasingly common in countries with Universal Healthcare.
How about I don't want government bean counters to decide my healthcare choices. To them, I'm citizen #276,138,473. If you think the government doesn't have a "maximum out of pocket" value assigned to your life, you're in for a big surprise.
How about I don't want government bean counters to decide my healthcare choices. To them, I'm citizen #276,138,473. If you think the government doesn't have a "maximum out of pocket" value assigned to your life, you're in for a big surprise.
That “ maximum value†thing was the basis of Paul Ryan ‘s proposed voucher system, that contemplated giving vouchers to those 65 and older to buy primary private healthcare insurance. Apparently, he was unaware that private insurers had no interest in being the primary insurer of elderly healthcare risks which is why Medicare was created.
Many of the diagnosis that were fatal 55 years ago, are now treatable and sometimes curable.
The rate of overweight/ obesity among adults has more than doubled over the past 55 years. 75% of adults are overweight/ obese and don’t seem to understand why healthcare is so expensive.
Simple question, is it better to pay more in private health care premiums, deductibles and co-pays than paying less than that in taxes?
Where in the world do you get the $2,000? Seems made up from thin air to me. Why not make the figure $500 or free?
At 70 years of age I am on Medicare and let's see what I pay for this great free government healthcare.
From my social security I have $134.00 taken out for my free Medicare Part B coverage.
Every month I pay Cigna $167.30 for my Medicare Plan G coverage that pays for those things that Medicare doesn't which can be very substantial.
Ever month I also pay Cigna $31.90 for my Medicare Part D coverage that covers prescription medications.
Total it all up and that's $333.20 every month which totals $3,998.40 that I pay every year which does not count the Medicare Part B deductable of $185.00 which brings the grand total to $4,183.40 that I pay for my medical benefits every year. And so you know that does not include the Medicare taxes I paid into for FIFTY YEARS before I got anything.
You're not a millennial who thinks Medicare is free and should be free for all, are you?
You know what? I am in favor of Medicare for all including the OP as long as you pay the exact same premium I am paying. Sound good? You and your wife would be a little over $8,300.00 per year in medical expenses.
Having lived in Canada and the USA I have 'lived' with two systems. Also 99.9 per cent of my family are in Canada.
The biggest difference is when there is a major illness. Eventually insurance plans tap out and you are on your own -- even with 'good' private health care plans.
So day to day I may not notice the difference. I have the same wait for a mammogram here as I do in Canada DEPENDING on where I live. Of course in communities with little to no resources, the waits are longer -- that happens private or public.
I've told this story a million times but I have a friend who lives in Florida. She had a fall and hurt her shoulder terribly. She was going to have to wait five months for her surgery if she stayed within her community.
Fortunately for her she had friends in the Charleston area in the medical field and they were able to get her surgery within three weeks....but she had to come here to do that.
She had the outside resources, and was able to travel for care -- not everyone can. Someone else would have just had to wait.
And yes -- I have Canadian friend and family that have waited for non-essential surgeries. BUT anything critical -- immediate care has always been provided.
The biggest thing - you end up with a kid with cancer who ends up being on chemo on and off for five years and your cadillac private health care insurance rant out after three years doesn't happen in Canada. That child is covered and gets the same kind of treatment as here.
Both systems have faults.
Both systems struggle with distribution/allocation of resources and the cost of medical equipment and care.
I would like to believe that the USA is 'smart' enough 'great' emough to come up with some system that would work.
But it seems so many Americans just don't think the USA is good enough to do that.
Having lived in Canada and the USA I have 'lived' with two systems. Also 99.9 per cent of my family are in Canada.
The biggest difference is when there is a major illness. Eventually insurance plans tap out and you are on your own -- even with 'good' private health care plans.
So day to day I may not notice the difference. I have the same wait for a mammogram here as I do in Canada DEPENDING on where I live. Of course in communities with little to no resources, the waits are longer -- that happens private or public.
I've told this story a million times but I have a friend who lives in Florida. She had a fall and hurt her shoulder terribly. She was going to have to wait five months for her surgery if she stayed within her community.
Fortunately for her she had friends in the Charleston area in the medical field and they were able to get her surgery within three weeks....but she had to come here to do that.
She had the outside resources, and was able to travel for care -- not everyone can. Someone else would have just had to wait.
And yes -- I have Canadian friend and family that have waited for non-essential surgeries. BUT anything critical -- immediate care has always been provided.
The biggest thing - you end up with a kid with cancer who ends up being on chemo on and off for five years and your cadillac private health care insurance rant out after three years doesn't happen in Canada. That child is covered and gets the same kind of treatment as here.
Both systems have faults.
Both systems struggle with distribution/allocation of resources and the cost of medical equipment and care.
I would like to believe that the USA is 'smart' enough 'great' emough to come up with some system that would work.
But it seems so many Americans just don't think the USA is good enough to do that.
Thanks for your thought-provoking perspective.
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