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What changes do you expect from your government, to social security and medicare?
more coverage?
less coverage?
cheaper drugs?
higher ages for early retirement?
etc?
Medicare will let people ruin their liver with alcohol, and they'll pay for medical.
Medicare will let people ruin their lungs with smoking, and they'll pay for medical.
But, Medicare won't pay for inherited teeth issues.
Not much in the way of change, at least not in my lifetime. Major changes would take political will, not just hubris. Not much of that running loose in Washington.
Imagine! Medicare, a system those of us who [will] receive it have paid into all or most of our working lives, gives us the freedom to ruin our health, or not. What a concept!
Congress is usually not much for immediate and clearly identified pain. So, I think we might see the synchronization of the medicare eligibility age with the full retirement age, to take effect in five to ten years. The premium adjustments based on income could be increased from their current bump, and or the increase could take effect at lower incomes.
Don't see Congress having the courage, or will to force cheaper drug prices, through negotiation, though if you look at medicare recipients as one big class, there is most likely the volume to justify better prices. At least for some drugs.
With 500 billion cut in medciare alre4ady and likely more to coem :i expect less form it in cominf years.The trusteees said i their report that in 2012 the payment to providers wouold be cut to 30% of what private insurnace pays. That has cosequences i service. SS will be reformed but if not the trusteees said they estimate acrosspayents to fall to 77% of what is pad now. I thnik we can alos expect less form governamnt esepcailly grnats and funding to state governamnt as time goes on witht eh cuts. With the military cuts coming it will efffect mnay jobs and result in layoffs.Have a friedn who worked for locheed martin who has a chances to go to non-military aircraft and jumped at it because he saw what was coming.
Freeze COLA
Increase medicare premiums
Increase medigap premiums
Reduce Medicare reimbursement to doctors
Pay for less procedures via redtape and ICD10 codes
Increase retirement age
Continue to stealth tax social security via money printing and inflation
They wont outright cut your social security check; that would be political suicide. Instead they will cut costs by less overt means.
Edit
I should also add, means testing for social security. If you are above the poverty line and expecting social security when you retire, you might want to reevaluate.
Last edited by sephiro499; 08-14-2011 at 07:41 PM..
Financially, Medicare is in worse shape than Social Security. Who knows what Congress will do about it. Personally I would be happy to pay more for my Medicare Part B premium. Medicare is a hell of a good deal for people 65 and over; they could charge more and it would still be a good deal. Anyone who doubts that should just add together the cost your employer is contributing to your health care with the portion that you are paying by payroll deduction and see what the total is. Then compare that total with what Medicare costs. Figuring that latter cost is tricky because it depends what coverage one has selected (Standard Medicare plus supplement or Medicare Advantage Plan) and the cost can vary from region to region. But all and all it's still a good deal.
Medicare is a hell of a good deal for people 65 and over;
It's a good deal but at the expense of everyone else in the marketplace. Medicare doesn't pay enough for the procedures it covers.
Quote:
Kornel, who's been in practice for 27 years, said he had always accepted Medicare patients in the past.
"But when I looked at my income from reimbursements, I was losing money every time I took care of a Medicare patient," said Kornel. "It wasn't covering my costs."
"Wilt and his colleagues say they are shunning the area's growing senior population because they believe Medicare doesn't reimburse physicians enough to cover the cost of care.
And if Medicare further cuts its reimbursement rates, then we'll be functioning at a loss," said Wilt.
I would like Medicare premiums to be based on the amount of social security the person receives.
There are millionaire's getting social security. Since they get the highest social security checks due to their income levels, their Medicare part B premiums should be higher than those on the lowest end of the s.s. income scale. I just can not afford 12% of my income for Part B.
And as we know, if and when there is a cost of living raise, it may surely be wiped out by higher premiums on the insurance.
I would like Medicare premiums to be based on the amount of social security the person receives.
There are millionaire's getting social security. Since they get the highest social security checks due to their income levels, their Medicare part B premiums should be higher than those on the lowest end of the s.s. income scale. I just can not afford 12% of my income for Part B.
And as we know, if and when there is a cost of living raise, it may surely be wiped out by higher premiums on the insurance.
I thought that was how it was figured now. I know people who get more than me in SS and they pay more for Part B. Mine comes out to 15% of what I would get if they didn't take it out but is still only about $95 month.
I don't think millionaires should claim SS. If I were one I wouldn't. I could afford my OWN health care. Isn't there a limit on how much one can earn/have?
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