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Old 06-03-2011, 09:24 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920

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Quote:
Originally Posted by roysoldboy View Post
Somehow all I did to "qualify" for Medicare was have that 65th birthday. The law had already provided for me and insurance companies weren't wanting to compete with the US government.

How much do we pay each month to have Medicare, anyway? It was 10% of the Social Security monthly check but since no COLA raises have been allowed for two years I think it could be a bit more.
No, that's not all you did. You paid in to SS, probably all your working life. Prior to Medicare, the insurance companies did not want to insure senior citizens, and the cost for doing so was prohibitive for many. It's not that the insurance companies don't want to compete with the government; it's that the insurance companies didn't want to provide reasonably priced insurance to senior citizens.
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:25 AM
 
29,981 posts, read 42,856,313 times
Reputation: 12828
Quote:
Originally Posted by Versatile View Post
Begging for medical care | CJOnline.com

If you were among those without insurance, you either forwent care as long as you could, at a substantial risk to your life, or you asked for charity, never a pleasant task for an elderly person who has always taken pride in paying their bills. So many died from delaying care.
And many will die from delayed care under Obamacare as well. All one has to do is look at the NHS in Britain to see that. Your point wouldn't be repeated fearmongering against the Ryan plan would it?
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:26 AM
LML
 
Location: Wisconsin
7,100 posts, read 9,096,576 times
Reputation: 5191
Please explain to me how much more "delayed" care can be than NO CARE AT ALL?
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:31 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,027,395 times
Reputation: 2949
Default Reasonably priced Insurance for Senior Citizens

Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
No, that's not all you did. You paid in to SS, probably all your working life. Prior to Medicare, the insurance companies did not want to insure senior citizens, and the cost for doing so was prohibitive for many. It's not that the insurance companies don't want to compete with the government; it's that the insurance companies didn't want to provide reasonably priced insurance to senior citizens.
To Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield a "senior citizen" is anyone 50 years of age or older - for the purpose of assessing premiums.
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:43 AM
 
2,930 posts, read 2,220,693 times
Reputation: 1024
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
No, that's not all you did. You paid in to SS, probably all your working life. Prior to Medicare, the insurance companies did not want to insure senior citizens, and the cost for doing so was prohibitive for many. It's not that the insurance companies don't want to compete with the government; it's that the insurance companies didn't want to provide reasonably priced insurance to senior citizens.
I keep hearing "the insurance companies" did not want to insure senior citizens,......causing Medicare to be implemented,....but no quantiative proof to such a claim. Would be nice to see some statistics to back such a claim.

For those of us interested in history, there were numerous attempts by the federal government to institute various forms of nationalized healthcare, starting early in the twentieth century. It wasn't until the 1940s that commericial insurance seriously got into the healthcare business, and a short couple of decades before the feds passed the Medicare legislation under a democrat party regime. Some make it sound like the insurance industry had spent centuries abusing the elderly.

There had been a push by the federal government to nationalize healthcare long before Medicare. It seems that the fed took an incremental approach and focused upon the elderly to get its foot in the healthcare doorway. Now Obamacare is busting that door down.

The liberals in the federal government are finally achieving their goal of power over the people. First with healthcare, then later with education. It's all about power,...not healthcare.
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:45 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by World Citizen View Post
To Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield a "senior citizen" is anyone 50 years of age or older - for the purpose of assessing premiums.
If you qualify for Medicare, they will not sell you a policy at any price, except Medicare Advantage and Medi-Gap. Essentially, their senior citizens are 50-65 in that case.
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:51 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,027,395 times
Reputation: 2949
Prior to Medicare, senior citizens could not afford health insurance coverage and therefore went without care.

These days, it's working people that are going without care because they either can't afford health insurance or because their employer provided coverage has such high out of pocket costs that they still can't afford the cost of medical care when they need it.

Hospitals will allow you one year to pay off your hospital costs but after a year they turn it over to collection.
We all know what happens to your credit when that happens.

Last edited by World Citizen; 06-03-2011 at 10:18 AM..
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:52 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,027,395 times
Reputation: 2949
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
If you qualify for Medicare, they will not sell you a policy at any price, except Medicare Advantage and Medi-Gap. Essentially, their senior citizens are 50-65 in that case.
That's correct.

To Anthem Blue Cross "Senior Policies" are those who are 50 + years of age.

Last edited by World Citizen; 06-03-2011 at 10:01 AM..
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:11 AM
 
Location: Metro-Detroit area
4,050 posts, read 3,953,569 times
Reputation: 2107
Quote:
Originally Posted by sol11 View Post
Insurance is a business, just like selling automobiles or any other product. If you don't want to sign the contract, then don't buy the product. Nobody is holding a gun on you.

I do know that with Medicare private companies drop you when you turn 65. Whose fault is that,...the government or the insurance company?

You obviously hate free enterprise.
You must be trolling...no other excuse for such uninformed sentiments!!
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:14 AM
 
7,099 posts, read 27,141,808 times
Reputation: 7452
I don't think that most of you understand how Medicare works.

Medicare decides on an "approved" amount. They pay 80% of that amount. The insurance company or the patient pays ONLY the remaining approved amount. Not the big $500,000 bill, but a much smaller 20% of the "Approved" amount. If Medicare doesn't pay, the insurance company doesn't have to pay either.

For example. I had an MRI done on my head. The bill was over $900.00. Medicare APPROVED a little over $90. They paid about $72 and I only owed about 10 bucks. I could have paid it a dollar a week if I wanted to.

I also had catatact surgery on both eyes. At that time I was paying $126.00 per month for Insurance coverage. The amount that Medicare APPROVED was so low that the Insurance company 20% was less than 2 months premiums. I didn't owe anything except for some UNAPPROVED medications. The insurance company didn't have to pay, because Medicare wouldn't pay.

The hospital/MRI took a loss on me both times. Who makes up the difference? Other patients.

My husband also had cataract lens put in in both eyes. He also had to have laser and other corrective surgery on one eye before it could be done. What Medicare APPROVED was pitiful. The 20% balance was easily paid. And Yes, our only income at that time was social security.
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