Do we have closet socialists who will accept Medicare when they turn 65 and be glad about it, or do you plan to reject Medicare and provide your own health insurance after 65? Do you know what a private health ins. policy would cost for you after age 65? And for a spouse? There's a good chance if you have a pre-existing condition that it would not be available. So is govt. insurance bad? Or what was your other plan? And why is it good for you when you need it, but its not good for other americans when they need it?
Medicare is a bureaucratic nightmare. It is going bankrupt in a hurry. It is fraught with fraudulent practices by doctors and vendors and it's an example of how the government runs it's business. When I retire, I'd like to have a better choice, but the proposals on the table don't impress me. Let Health insurance companies compete for business and do something about unscrupulous lawyers churning out ads with 800 numbers encouraging people to call if they incurred a known side effect that they were fully informed about.
Agree medicare is going broke and will break the nation, but it is not the govt., it is private industry that is running the providers that are bilking the govt. It appears the private / govt. partnership is failing on the private side, and the govt. has trouble passing rules to control private sector abuse, (procedures that are not effective or not needed at all). But you do plan to use our govt. healthcare plan after you retire just like the rest of us. It has to be fixed so we consume less services or pay a lot less for them, or we'll break the nation.
Its the payer's responsibility to monitor the payee's claims. Medicare is going broke because we dont have checks and balances to prevent these scoundrel companies from bilking the government. Why is that not first and foremost on the health care agenda? Anyone who has been exposed to Medicare will tell you about the massive waste. I see it everyday, right now, with my mother-in-law. Its sickening. You want to consume less service? Stop paying for excessive unnecessary service and equipment. I cant even fathom the amount of money that will save the government. On the original post, is Obama losing the Health Reform Battle? He's lost it. Its far to complicated for Americans to buy into and Obama hasnt done a very good job selling it. I blame those around him more than I blame him. They gave him a bill that is incomprehensible for the average person and made it easy for the opposition to shoot it full of holes.
also about medicare, you can ask any older person who has medicare, they have to get separate policies to cover what medicare does not cover, so will this plan eliminate the 2nd plan the elderly have?
Right. And $500 toilet seats were the fault of the suppliers, too. The government is ripe for the picking due to lax regulation and too many bureaucrats. I'll keep what I have even after retirement, though I'm sure there are some rules about utilizing Medicare if it's available. We don't have a choice in the matter. I am not against reform. I'm against government intrusion and haphazard change for the sake of change.
You should be a big fan of the RACs (Recovery Audit Contractors) program. It is being phased in nation wide, and is paying huge dividends. This will be a nationwide program. Here is an overview. Here are some more resources on the program.
