Why do we need a new health care system/plan/option?

[dem629]

Much of this "controversy" is taking place b/c no one -- from the average citizen to members of congress to the president -- can explain this bill.

Why did they make this so difficult?

We have a public health care plan. Medicare. Why not just open up that option to everyone?

It's in place. It's efficient. People are happy with it. In general, people understand how it works.

When they (whoever "they" were) decided to conjure up another system, that's when this thing went off the rails. Now we're probably going to end up with a watered down compromise that may come close to being some kind of coverage for the uninsured, and probably won't be as good as Medicare.

EDIT: typo

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. Because medicare actually sucks, is very complicated and victim to runaway costs and most important,

you can still very easily go broke from medical bills on medicare.

[dem629]

2. I'm on it. (Edit to add more info)

I've never had a problem with the plan.

I HAVE had a problem with hospitals and doctors offices trying to bill me for the balance, but have been told (and helped) by Medicare representatives that when a provider agrees to take Medicare, they agree to the price.

This has happened to me four times. EACH time, the balance was cleared. All I had to do was make two phone calls each time.

Additionally, while waiting for my disability to be approved (2 years) I had a few emergency room visits that I didn't (couldn't) pay for and a few doctor visits that I paid for out of pocket. The hospital and the doctor office submitted those bills to Medicare and Medicare paid off the outstanding balance. I also received a check to reimburse me for $584, costs I paid between the time I applied for disability and the time I was approved.

It's a good system.

[Shagbark Hickory]

8. Ok well that's kinda a big problem. That bill is what drives people to the poorhouse n/t

[dem629]

11. And that bill would be covered by Medicare.

I know. I've been through it.

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. Do you mean by private supplemental insurance? (if you're lucky)

[dem629]

14. No, that's not what I mean and it's not luck. It's Medicare.

When a provider agrees to take Medicare patients, they agree to accept Medicare's payment.

If a procedure costs 800 and Medicare pays 600, a doctor or hospital may try to bill the patient for the balance. I have been through that four times. EACH time I made one phone call to Medicare and one to the provider's billing office. EACH time the balance was cleared off.

I have been told by Medicare reps that this is how it works. And it does.

Twice, the billing office said it was just how their system worked (to bill for the balance) but it shouldn't be sent to Medicare recipients. Maybe they're hoping some people will just pay it. All you have to do is call Medicare and call the billing office of the provider.

Again, four times this happened to me. This wasn't a one-time fluke. Medicare handles it.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. Then you're eligible for part A. Not everyone is.

[dem629]

16. Hence my idea: Open it up to everyone.

And Part B also covers this for doctor visits. Part A is hospitals.

[Tracer]

22. Balance Billing is illegal in Massachusetts.

Is that not the case in other states?

[timeforpeace]

20. You're right, Medicare works well. Providers and patients both like it. Too boring of a solution for

all those who want to get credit for recreating the wheel.

[dem629]

21. Maybe so. Interesting point.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Very, very complicated.

And runaway costs!

:scared:

[Greyhound]

6. To the small degree that Medicare does suck, it does so because of

numerous legislative "tweaks" perpetrated on it by the corporatist faction. The republiks have been at it longer, but since the corporate takeover by the DLC, the Democrats have also made their contributions.

[donco6]

9. Ridiculous

My Dad was on it and had no problems.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. That's a good reason then I take it all back n/t

[donco6]

25. Good. Glad that's settled. n/t

[gleaner]

34. I have medicare.....

It is a very good plan. It is not that complicated and they send you literature and booklets so that you know exactly what you are getting and how it works. It is very straightforward and does not run you in circles like private insurance.

Most health care providers accept assignment, which means they accept whatever medicare pays and don't ask for the difference. No co payments except for the specified deductibles. If you have a medicare supplement, it usually pays your deductibles and is not that expensive. Medicare is a victim to people who philosophically oppose any government help for others under any circumstances. Medicare is also a victim of people who misrepresent what the present health care system actually does and resist any attempts to reform it or scrap it. Those people are usually political conservatives or on the payroll of lobbying groups paid for by the health insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies. I don't think it is a coincidence that this is the second thread like this that I have seen this morning.

Medicare also offers preventative care which private insurance does not. The only bad thing about medicare is the Bush prescription plan. You do not go broke on medicare. You are confusing it with private insurance which my husband has. That is what we are going broke on. Because the company refuses to cover the costs it states that it will cover in the policy, denies other necessary testing because they deem it too expensive and still charges an arm and a leg for the privilege of killing its insureds slowly and painfully.

Now tell me, if you will be so kind, what exactly is your knowledge of medicare? Do you have it? Have you read extensively about it? Where does your information come from. Because if this is how you are representing the program, maybe you should go back and check it out further.

[Greyhound]

3. Because the power brokers in the Demopublic Party take their marching orders from

huge and hugely profitable corporations. HR 676 scares the shit out of these parasites and the order has come down to get that out of the discussion. So we get this morass of needless complexity, complexity which can hide more corruption, more greed, and more murder for another generation or two.

[dem629]

5. I am starting to think along those lines.

Other than members of both parties being beholden to the big money interests, I can think of no other reason. I think you're on to something.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Medicare, right now, is more likely to go broke than is Social Security. It is ripe with fraud and

a large percentage of people (even those on it) have no understanding of it. Medicare comes in 4 parts. Part A is the only 'free' (not really since working people pay into it) portion which pays for hospital stays. Part B must be 'selected' to pay for doctors' fees and services. Only some doctors participate. Part C is the 'supplemental' which is through a private insurance company and is one of the leading drivers of the program's increasing costs. And then Part D came along under W. for prescription drugs, which stopped providers of Part C from paying for them.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. It's all gobbletyguk to me. People need a simpler system and a sustainable system cost-wise.

[gatorboy]

17. Have you had any trouble with Medicare? Can you share your experiences?

[Shagbark Hickory]

26. I have elderly family members that use medicare and here's what I've observed...

The providers do whatever tests they can think of to run up the tab.
The ambulance drivers go miles out of their way to run up the tab.
They send nurses and other folks to the home unnecessarily and provide boxes upon boxes of unneeded supplies.
They prescribe too much medication because it makes more money and runs up the tab.

These people have part B (I guess) meaning they still have to pay 20%. One of them worked for municipality in NY state that had very generous retirement benefits including Blue Cross, Blue Crap (apparently for life- sorry NY taxpayers!) so that takes over most of the remaining medical expenses from what I understand.

Now you may be thinking "well they're getting the care they need, right?". The answer is yes but if it weren't for the inclusion of both under the state of newyork group plan, they'd be broke. Too much abuse of the medicare. That would be fine if costs were under control but they aren't.

They still SEE the bills.
$14 for a box of tissues & things like that.

[dem629]

32. HUH?

"The ambulance drivers go miles out of their way to run up the tab."

Really? That's kind of hard to believe.

As for the other examples, you're describing fraud on the part of the providers.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Please share your personal Medicare experiences

rather than just making rhetorical doughnuts that mean nothing but that you typed some letters. What is your experience, or are you talking out of your hat, based on things you read in Highlights magazine?

[gatorboy]

23. I think he's outta there.

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. I'm not out of here, buster.

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. I did. See #26

[gatorboy]

35. Ambulance drivers take scenic routes.

Riiiiiiight.....

[donco6]

24. It's sustainable if it's a priority.

Just like any budget item. If it's important, you budget for it. If it isn't, you don't. We've decided multi-billion dollar aircraft are more important, so we budget for them. If anyone wants old people to die, it's the Republicans who put Medicare further down the totem pole.

[dem629]

18. That could be dealt with more easily than creating another system.

At least Medicare is already in place.

(Please note that I said "more easily" - I do not mean it would be easy, just probably easier than dealing with two systems in the same trouble.)

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. We don't need two systems. Only one. Medicare should be replaced with a system where you just

show up when you need care. You leave when you're better, never see the bill and get reimbursed for the cab fare home. That's as simple as it could possibly get.

If there is a budget set up for fighting wildfires and protecting homes and property then why not just set up a budget to pay the medical expenses of the country. It's not like we don't already get taxed enough. We just waste money on wars and planes for congress.

[dem629]

31. That's pretty much what Medicare does, and does well.

However, no system will ever allow a "just show up" policy.

[Shagbark Hickory]

33. That's where you're wrong.

Medicare has got a lot of serious problems. You can still EASILY go broke and lose everything from medical bills if you are eligible for medicare.

Nationalized healthcare would solve this problem. We need a national health system. Just like we have a national highway system.
Just like the highways, healthcare won't make us money, only cost lots and lots of it. But we need it. Every last one of us will eventually need it. In case you've ever wondered why there aren't any private highways, it's because corporations haven't found a way to charge people to access them but prohibit them from actually using them.

[Greyhound]

30. And every problem with Medicare can be traced back to one issue,

Profits.

Fixing the problems in one system is far easier and cheaper than fixing the problems in 100 systems, especially when all of the systems exists to create profits for the owners.