Do you know anyone on Medicare?
If you know someone on Medicare, or you yourself are on Medicare, then you know that Medicare is not the golden ticket of health insurance that many people believe it is. Until you have to go on Medicare, you might think that Medicare covers prescriptions, nursing home stays, etc.
One reason we need health care reform is because of the high cost of Medicare to seniors who need coverage yet are living on a fixed income. Not every grandma and grandpa on Medicare is rich and can afford $600 month supplemental insurance. Not everyone on Medicare can even get supplemental health insurance once they are diagnosed with a disabling disease.
Take for example, Mr. A. He has End Stage Renal Disease (his kidneys don't work and he goes to dialysis 3 times a week). Mr. A. is on Medicare, part A and part B.
Mr. A was in the nursing home for 110 days.
Mr. A worked his whole life. He is very, very sick. His Medicare doesn't cover his prescriptions or rides to dialysis. He can't get supplemental health insurance because he has end stage renal disease.
Mr. A owes more than $10,000 to the nursing home for days 90-110 because Medicare only pays for days 1-89. If you are on Medicare, you are not allowed to be in a nursing home past 89 days or you will have to pay out of pocket. Hurry the hell up and get better or you will pay at the rate of $300 a day.
Mr. A also owes thousands in chair car charges to get to dialysis, thousands in co-payments to doctors and is behind on his mortgage because of all of his medical bills.
Why isn't Mr. A covered completely by Medicare? Why are our sickest people denied quality care because of money? He has health insurance yet he has thousands in medical bills.
I have a suggestion to health care reform.
Put all members of congress and their families on Medicare only. They can't buy supplemental coverage and they can only go to Medicare approved physicians. Give them no other options. Don't pay for their prescriptions, eyeglasses,or hearing aids.
We will have a solution to our health care crisis in less than a week, with both sides in agreement.
Medicare: A Health Care Reform Solution
Private Disability Insurance and Social Security Disability Benefits
Disability insurance is often overlooked by the young, healthy adult. It often doesn't make sense to invest in a disability policy when a budget is already stretched to the limit. Unfortunately, disability insurance can only be purchased if a person is in good health and not when they are fighting a potentially disabling disease.
Private disability insurance payments do not affect social security disability payments.
If a private disability policy is purchased and in effect when a person becomes disabled, private disability payments will be paid in addition to any social security disability benefits that the disabled person may be entitled to.
This is significant because social security disability payments will be pretty low and many people will find that a huge change in standard of living will occur. Some private disability policies will pay the insured double SSDI amounts, giving the disabled a total payment that they can comfortably live on.
Disability insurance is not often available to those with certain pre-existing conditions.
Insurance companies are a for profit business and it is smart business not to insure people who are at risk of getting sick in the near future. People with potential pre-existing conditions should consider applying for disability insurance before it is too late. Although it may stretch a budget, purchasing disability insurance when young and healthy is a wise investment for the future.
Government to Pay More Than Half of U.S. Health Costs
Federal and state programs will pay slightly more than half the tab for health care purchased in the United States by 2012, says a report by Medicare number crunchers released Thursday.
WASHINGTON -- For all the hue and cry over a government takeover of health care, it's happening anyway.
Federal and state programs will pay slightly more than half the tab for health care purchased in the United States by 2012, says a report by Medicare number crunchers released Thursday. Read more from FOX NEWS HERE.
I am not a politically active person. I am learning about health care reform after being inspired by a family friend who has become critically ill and is struggling with health insurance issues. I do not understand why people are so against the government "taking over" and providing a government sponsored health insurance option.
Why are so many Americans upset that the government is trying to establish a public health insurance option? Can someone please explain it to me?
Health coverage right now is up to the individual unless they meet federal poverty guidelines or have certain disabilities. We are already paying a big portion of our incomes to health insurance and health related costs, why not have these costs regulated?
Maybe I'm in the minority and this is the reason health care reform is having such a hard time getting off the ground. Ask any wealthy but critically ill person and they will tell you that money means nothing if you don't have health. Why aren't we investing more into our national health care system?
Unemployed: Now What do I do?
The high cost of health insurance
Have you decreased your plan coverage, taking the chance with high deductables if you become hospitalized?
Are you prepared if you lose your job and need to continue with COBRA payments?
President Obama had created a reduced COBRA plan that allowed families to pay for 35% of their COBRA while the former employer covered the other 65% for a period of nine months, but this reduced COBRA plan has now expired.
What would you do if you were faced with a $1,000 month bill to have health insurance for you and your family and you became unemployed?
What if your unemployment was enough so that your family earned just above 133% of the federal poverty level ($2,800) for a family of five and you didn't qualify for any state health insurance reduced/free program?
If you receive $2,801 or more from unemployment and you are a family of 5 (the amount is even less for smaller families), you must pay for health insurance premiums on your own.
Is really the best we can come up with in this country?
