Expand Medicare to include hearing, dental, and vision care.

[riversedge]

yes. yes yes. So many think the elderly do not have ears, eyes or teeth.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[BoringUsername]

1. This absolutely should be done

Health insurance should cover all aspects of a person's health. This seems like something that should have been done already. I think there would be a lot of support for this. Democrats should push for this.

[SouthernLiberal]

29. And foot care

Now, we have to wait until foot problems become a true health issue. The only example they give is hammer toes.

[-misanthroptimist]

2. That needs to happen. Yesterday, if possible.

If yesterday is too soon, tomorrow will still be helpful.

[Grammy23]

3. What about prescription drugs?

When we were employed we had Rx coverage through our regular health insurance. NOT a separate policy. We did have separate for dental & vision. Why? It’s all related to our health. Why separate policies?? Insurance industry couldn’t possibly have anything to do with that, could it??

[riversedge]

5. profits profits. is the name of the game.

[Wounded Bear]

8. They need to change Part D to allow negotiating prices...

like the VA does. I get prescriptions from them at very low co-pays. It was raw politics to deny this in the original bill.

[Claire Oh Nette]

19. Worse

The Law expressly forbid Medicare frm negotiating bulk prices. It's the single biggest purchaser of medications in the country. Walmart negotiates prices and sets the price for entire markets because of their size.

Gift to Pharmaceutical Companies, especially for drugs still under patent. Easy legislation to amend, too.

[riversedge]

24. #1

[Mr.Bill]

28. This was a gift for the drug companies.

Republicans can't even do something good for the people unless some corporations are making a fortune from it.

[George II]

18. Prescription drugs are already covered for the most part by Medicare and very low....

....premium supplements.

[Vinca]

20. I agree with you. Medicare Part D has never made sense to me. Everyone should be automatically

covered, end of story.

[gab13by13]

4. Hear Hear

I probably spent 20k dollars out of pocket on those. A root canal costs over $1,000.00.

Vision wasn't so bad because some of the costs are covered under medical.

[Deuxcents]

6. Yes!

Yesterday would have been a good start as I have a dentist appointment today

[Wounded Bear]

7. Would help me out a lot since VA doesn't cover those for me...

Well, I do get vision care as an adjunct to my diabetes treatment.

But hearing and dental? Nope.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. Which is another fucking crime.

I know a couple people who got really sick from tooth abscesses. One was on a ventilator and was almost to the point where he would need a lung transplant - luckily he recovered.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. It does cover eye care.

Annual exams, cataract surgery, for sure.
Doesn"t pay much tho.

[liberalla]

11. Yes! Good idea! It would be helpful to me... Thank you Sen Markey!

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Oh Hell YES!

[Submariner]

13. This will all happen when we Boomers kick off

Our population numbers since 1946 have severely stressed FDR's original safety net system.

We're kicking off daily in big numbers so that will help the cause for Medicare for all. The Vietnam War/Cold War didn't kill enough of us off, so the system has remained stressed. Covid 19 took a chunk out of the Boomer crowd, but not the millions needed to die off and stop collecting social security and medicare/medicaid.

Hang in there another for another general election and a midterm or two, we'll die off soon enough.

[DownriverDem]

15. Depressing

Many Boomers have fought for progressive ideas for decades. Many of us hope we are around to see them come true. One of the biggest disappointments is how so many Boomers went repub with reagan and never looked back.

[Caliman73]

14. Republicans took those out of the initial proposal...deliberately.

They did not want to create such a good coverage system that people in private insurance would want to switch.

Republicans have tried to kill Medicare with the 1000 small cuts method.

[haele]

16. The reason dental, vision, and hearing are separate from medical is good old moral hazard.

If you brush your teeth, you don't need to see a dentist for more than an annual checkup, right? The fact that some people have a genetic issue with cavies notwithstanding.
If you take care of your eyes and don't be sitting in front of screens or reading books in dim light too much, you won't need glasses, right? People born with vision problems notwithstanding.
If you don't go to loud rock concerts or crank up the stereo of 11 with earbuds in, you won't lose your hearing, right?
Workers Comp or accident insurance will cover all damage that is due to accident or work, but all else is considered your fault or cosmetic.
If they could do the same with weight-related conditions, you know they would...they just didn't set it up early enough, but the insurance companies are nibbling on the edges of putting chronic overweight conditions into the moral hazard bucket.

Haele

[LiberalLoner]

23. +1 great post.

[SunSeeker]

17. Long overdue.

It's barbaric that dental, vision and hearing are not covered. But Republicans hate most Americans, so here we are.

[BobTheSubgenius]

21. And they aren't covered ecause somehow, ears, eyes and teeth aren't parts of your body?

[former9thward]

22. I am on Medicare and I have hearing, dental and vision.

And no, I don't have any supplemental insurance. Just the regular Medicare that you pay about $140 a month or so. There are many companies offering Medicare management. When you are on Medicare you will be with some private company. I am with HUmana. The government does not administer Medicare. Check around for a plan that meets your needs.

[SharonAnn]

25. So you are in a Medicare "Advantage" plan.

[former9thward]

26. Yes, a plan available to anyone.

A plan that is the basic Medicare monthly rate.

[SouthernLiberal]

30. I looked into Medicare Advantage plans

What I found were plans that covered everything. No extra premium. But $7000 and up deductibles. That's pretty standard for my state. So I I stayed with original Medicare, and a supplement, and part D, and an eye and teeth plan that will finally cover something next year. All of this still costs me less than the only plans available at Healthcare. Gov were.

[Demsrule86]

27. I signed up for a plan that starts in June with United it includes dental and vision and the gym etc

It has no premium but Medicare B is I believe 148.00 per month. I think Medicare is pretty expensive myself. I chose this plan because I have access to United's medical network in different states if traveling.