The MAJOR difference between Medicare and Private Insurance...

[Remodeling Maidiac]

a thread about...policy? on USMB? FINALLY!

A thread that should be dead. EVERYONE has said their piece and NO ONE is giving an inch.

Pointless arguments at this point.

 

[dblack]

Medicare for All is wrong because it gives government too much control of health insurance.

Better than your employer having control of your insurance. Better than being tied to a job because you don’t want to lose your insurance.

Here's a thought - but be careful, it might blow your mind: How about neither your employer, nor your government, controls your health insurance? You don't have to be a slave, rw. Rejoice!

Then what?

Whatever you want to try. It's up to you. That's freedom.

Not a solution is it?

Nope. The purpose of government isn't to solve your problems.

 

[BuckToothMoron]

One difference between private insurance and Medicare - my doctor can not take anymore Medicare patients because he’d go out of business. Medicare does not pay the full cost to providers.

....And private insurers do pay full cost to providers? Don't think so.

They pay more than Medicare, that is a cold hard fact.

 

[Rocko]

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not

I saw it's effects first hand when it was needed for SERIOUS medical problems. It failed miserably when my family needed it the most.

So, yeah.....fuck off with that nonsense.

And I've seen first hand the same thing with private insurance...in fact I guarantee there are many more stories about private insurance denying care far more frequently than Medicare or Medicaid. So, fuck off with your "oh, but I have a personal story" bullshit.

my sister is a doctor and she believes Medicare is better than private insurance in terms of coverage, however the drawback is it only covers 80% and the patient needs a supplemental insurance to cover the rest of the costs. And Medicare is often abused, whereas regular insurance is harder to abuse. If more people were to go on Medicare it would obviously affect everyone already on it.

 

[Rocko]

Here's a big difference...

Americans With Government Health Plans Most Satisfied

Wow, that’s shocking. People who don’t have to pay for their healthcare are very satisfied. Who would have guessed....

they pay for it. Just not as much as we pay for private insurance

 

[Rocko]

Anyone have a better idea of how we should insure people who are 65 and older?

Its fine for people who earned SS, but there’s already a significant amount that we spend on it, so expanding is not a good idea.

 

[Rocko]

The Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage system is very popular and efficient, because it includes an excellent blend of public foundation and free market competition & innovation. It could be easily scaled up, with a few tweaks, for all.

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not to, and the left wingers are LYING to the voters, calling Single Payer "Medicare for All".

As usual, the wings are slowing down progress and causing harm.
.

What a shock, "Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage is popular and efficient" all we need to do is "tweak" it. WTF, fricken liberal wants to "tweak" it until it's not popular and efficient, but free for everyone...fricken idiot.

Wrong. "Free for everyone" would be Single Payer, and I'm strongly against that.

You simply don't know what you're talking about.

Another Trumpster attack based on abject ignorance and childish arrogance.
.

I see, so Medicare for all is NOT single payer....idiot.

Single payer pays all and Medicare does not therefore not a single payer, idiot.

medicare for all and single payer is the same principle. Government making decisions on everyone’s healthcare

 

[Mac1958]

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not

I saw it's effects first hand when it was needed for SERIOUS medical problems. It failed miserably when my family needed it the most.

So, yeah.....fuck off with that nonsense.

And I've seen first hand the same thing with private insurance...in fact I guarantee there are many more stories about private insurance denying care far more frequently than Medicare or Medicaid. So, fuck off with your "oh, but I have a personal story" bullshit.

my sister is a doctor and she believes Medicare is better than private insurance in terms of coverage, however the drawback is it only covers 80% and the patient needs a supplemental insurance to cover the rest of the costs. And Medicare is often abused, whereas regular insurance is harder to abuse. If more people were to go on Medicare it would obviously affect everyone already on it.

No, the system is in place and very scalable. The question would be compensation, since Medicare pays less than private insurance does.

There are also easy ways to tweak this. Here's one idea of mine: Since about 80% of our lifetime medical costs are incurred after age 65 (and we're already covering those people), younger people would be FAR less costly to cover. So, let's put Medicare coverage on a sliding age scale. When you're younger and healthier, and when insurance is far less costly, you're only covered at 30% or 40% or 50% by Medicare so that diagnostic, preventive and catastrophic care is covered. Then you can buy a free market plan. As you age, your Medicare coverage increases.

All we have to do is think, collaborate, innovate a little. Unfortunately, that's currently not allowed.
.

 

[Rocko]

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not

I saw it's effects first hand when it was needed for SERIOUS medical problems. It failed miserably when my family needed it the most.

So, yeah.....fuck off with that nonsense.

And I've seen first hand the same thing with private insurance...in fact I guarantee there are many more stories about private insurance denying care far more frequently than Medicare or Medicaid. So, fuck off with your "oh, but I have a personal story" bullshit.

my sister is a doctor and she believes Medicare is better than private insurance in terms of coverage, however the drawback is it only covers 80% and the patient needs a supplemental insurance to cover the rest of the costs. And Medicare is often abused, whereas regular insurance is harder to abuse. If more people were to go on Medicare it would obviously affect everyone already on it.

No, the system is in place and very scalable. The question would be compensation, since Medicare pays less than private insurance does.

There are also easy ways to tweak this. Here's one idea of mine: Since about 80% of our lifetime medical costs are incurred after age 65 (and we're already covering those people), younger people would be FAR less costly to cover. So, let's put Medicare coverage on a sliding age scale. When you're younger and healthier, and when insurance is far less costly, you're only covered at 30% or 40% or 50% by Medicare so that diagnostic, preventive and catastrophic care is covered. Then you can buy a free market plan. As you age, your Medicare coverage increases.

All we have to do is think, collaborate, innovate a little. Unfortunately, that's currently not allowed.
.

Im not an expert on the details of health insurance, but the one thing I know is a very huge portion of our country budget comes from Medicare. Expanding it to the degree where everyone is on it will increase the budget exponentially

 

[Mac1958]

Im not an expert on the details of health insurance, but the one thing I know is a very huge portion of our country budget comes from Medicare. Expanding it to the degree where everyone is on it will increase the budget exponentially

I wish there were a silver bullet. But consider three facts:

1. Remember that younger people are far less costly to a system than older people are. So the cost increase would NOT be linear, not even CLOSE. Plus, younger people would have their own free market plan to supplement it. AND, the system would include preventive and diagnostic coverage so problems are caught EARLIER before they become far more expensive to treat.

2. Right now we have somehow decided that it's an employer's responsibility to provide health insurance to employees. Why? That, to me, is a stupid rule. Let's take that massive cost monkey off the backs of American business so that they can use that money how they wish. Let the plans be personal and portable so an employee doesn't have to worry about coverage if they take a new job or start a business.

3. Do you know how many different health care payment/delivery systems we have now? Group plans, individual (ACA) plans, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Worker's Compensation and indigent. That's SEVEN. And NONE of them communicate directly with the other. Does that seem smart and financially efficient to you? Not me. And yet we seem to be fine with it. That's just CRAZY. There are HUGE cost savings and other quality-based efficiencies to be had there.

Expanding the public/private Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage system to all can be done if we stay smart. Let's start with some basic ideas and innovate from there. No plan will be perfect, but at least we can be SMART.
.

 

[debbiedowner]

One difference between private insurance and Medicare - my doctor can not take anymore Medicare patients because he’d go out of business. Medicare does not pay the full cost to providers.

....And private insurers do pay full cost to providers? Don't think so.

They pay more than Medicare, that is a cold hard fact.

I know that but you eluded to the fact they paid the full amount and they don't and that's a fact.

 

[debbiedowner]

The Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage system is very popular and efficient, because it includes an excellent blend of public foundation and free market competition & innovation. It could be easily scaled up, with a few tweaks, for all.

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not to, and the left wingers are LYING to the voters, calling Single Payer "Medicare for All".

As usual, the wings are slowing down progress and causing harm.
.

What a shock, "Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage is popular and efficient" all we need to do is "tweak" it. WTF, fricken liberal wants to "tweak" it until it's not popular and efficient, but free for everyone...fricken idiot.

Wrong. "Free for everyone" would be Single Payer, and I'm strongly against that.

You simply don't know what you're talking about.

Another Trumpster attack based on abject ignorance and childish arrogance.
.

I see, so Medicare for all is NOT single payer....idiot.

Single payer pays all and Medicare does not therefore not a single payer, idiot.

medicare for all and single payer is the same principle. Government making decisions on everyone’s healthcare

Government has never made a decision on my health care and I've never known anyone on Medicare that they have. Sometimes MAPD plans make decisions on your health care. More on private health insurance under 65 products have the insurance company involved more in your health care than Medicare ever will.

 

[Anathema]

Here's a big difference...

Americans With Government Health Plans Most Satisfied

Interesting. I know my wife was very dissatisfied with her coverage under Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid) when she was on it. She’s been much happier now that she’s covered under my employee health plan.

 

[debbiedowner]

The right wingers can't support it because they're told not

I saw it's effects first hand when it was needed for SERIOUS medical problems. It failed miserably when my family needed it the most.

So, yeah.....fuck off with that nonsense.

And I've seen first hand the same thing with private insurance...in fact I guarantee there are many more stories about private insurance denying care far more frequently than Medicare or Medicaid. So, fuck off with your "oh, but I have a personal story" bullshit.

my sister is a doctor and she believes Medicare is better than private insurance in terms of coverage, however the drawback is it only covers 80% and the patient needs a supplemental insurance to cover the rest of the costs. And Medicare is often abused, whereas regular insurance is harder to abuse. If more people were to go on Medicare it would obviously affect everyone already on it.

You sister is correct. I know a pretty large group of primary care docs that are mulling over and probably will drop all insurance plans except for Medicare, they say they it's easier to get paid and make a lot more money by Medicare. They will still see patients without Medicare but not filing their insurance claims or contracted with their insurance companies.

 

[Rocko]

And there’s also the thought that once the government gets full control of HC, they’re going to have to r

What a shock, "Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage is popular and efficient" all we need to do is "tweak" it. WTF, fricken liberal wants to "tweak" it until it's not popular and efficient, but free for everyone...fricken idiot.

Wrong. "Free for everyone" would be Single Payer, and I'm strongly against that.

You simply don't know what you're talking about.

Another Trumpster attack based on abject ignorance and childish arrogance.
.

I see, so Medicare for all is NOT single payer....idiot.

Single payer pays all and Medicare does not therefore not a single payer, idiot.

medicare for all and single payer is the same principle. Government making decisions on everyone’s healthcare

Government has never made a decision on my health care and I've never known anyone on Medicare that they have. Sometimes MAPD plans make decisions on your health care. More on private health insurance under 65 products have the insurance company involved more in your health care than Medicare ever will.

if everyone is on Medicare than it’s only logical to assume the government will be rationing healthcare

 

[debbiedowner]

Here's a big difference...

Americans With Government Health Plans Most Satisfied

Interesting. I know my wife was very dissatisfied with her coverage under Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid) when she was on it. She’s been much happier now that she’s covered under my employee health plan.

Was it Medicare or Medicaid she was unhappy with? Medicare probably paid promptly but I suspect Medicaid dragged their feet and question every little thing. They try to work together but it seems state Medicaid damn near always gives people shit about procedures or paying.

 

[Rocko]

Im not an expert on the details of health insurance, but the one thing I know is a very huge portion of our country budget comes from Medicare. Expanding it to the degree where everyone is on it will increase the budget exponentially

I wish there were a silver bullet. But consider three facts:

1. Remember that younger people are far less costly to a system than older people are. So the cost increase would NOT be linear, not even CLOSE. Plus, younger people would have their own free market plan to supplement it. AND, the system would include preventive and diagnostic coverage so problems are caught EARLIER before they become far more expensive to treat.

2. Right now we have somehow decided that it's an employer's responsibility to provide health insurance to employees. Why? That, to me, is a stupid rule. Let's take that massive cost monkey off the backs of American business so that they can use it how they wish. Let the plans be personal and portable so an employee doesn't have to worry about coverage if they take a new job or start a business.

3. Do you know how many different health care payment/delivery systems we have now? Group plans, individual (ACA) plans, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Worker's Compensation and indigent. That's SEVEN. And NONE of them communicate with the other. Does that seem smart and financially efficient to you? Not me. And yet we seem to be fine with it. That's just CRAZY. There are HUGE cost savings and other quality-based efficiencies to be had there.

Expanding the public/private Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage system to all can be done if we stay smart. Let's start with some basic ideas and innovate from there. No plan will be perfect, but at least we can be SMART.
.

im still skeptical in regards to the government turning their focus and all of a sudden being more efficient.

 

[Mac1958]

And there’s also the thought that once the government gets full control of HC, they’re going to have to r

Wrong. "Free for everyone" would be Single Payer, and I'm strongly against that.

You simply don't know what you're talking about.

Another Trumpster attack based on abject ignorance and childish arrogance.
.

I see, so Medicare for all is NOT single payer....idiot.

Single payer pays all and Medicare does not therefore not a single payer, idiot.

medicare for all and single payer is the same principle. Government making decisions on everyone’s healthcare

Government has never made a decision on my health care and I've never known anyone on Medicare that they have. Sometimes MAPD plans make decisions on your health care. More on private health insurance under 65 products have the insurance company involved more in your health care than Medicare ever will.

if everyone is on Medicare than it’s only logical to assume the government will be rationing healthcare

Most people don't understand the Medicare system. It includes free market competition and innovation. It is NOT single payer.

And by the way, the Dems are lying when they call Single Payer "Medicare for All". They just don't want to call it what it is, Single Payer.

Take a few minutes here:

 

[debbiedowner]

And there’s also the thought that once the government gets full control of HC, they’re going to have to r

Wrong. "Free for everyone" would be Single Payer, and I'm strongly against that.

You simply don't know what you're talking about.

Another Trumpster attack based on abject ignorance and childish arrogance.
.

I see, so Medicare for all is NOT single payer....idiot.

Single payer pays all and Medicare does not therefore not a single payer, idiot.

medicare for all and single payer is the same principle. Government making decisions on everyone’s healthcare

Government has never made a decision on my health care and I've never known anyone on Medicare that they have. Sometimes MAPD plans make decisions on your health care. More on private health insurance under 65 products have the insurance company involved more in your health care than Medicare ever will.

if everyone is on Medicare than it’s only logical to assume the government will be rationing healthcare

Not necessarily you will be paying premiums for Medicare. You have to realize there will be Medicare supplements one can still purchase that will pick up hospital deductibles and the 20% that Medicare doesn't pay under Part B. You will also have Medicare Advantage plans and that is probably what the government will push people towards like they've been doing the past few years.

 

[Mac1958]

Im not an expert on the details of health insurance, but the one thing I know is a very huge portion of our country budget comes from Medicare. Expanding it to the degree where everyone is on it will increase the budget exponentially

I wish there were a silver bullet. But consider three facts:

1. Remember that younger people are far less costly to a system than older people are. So the cost increase would NOT be linear, not even CLOSE. Plus, younger people would have their own free market plan to supplement it. AND, the system would include preventive and diagnostic coverage so problems are caught EARLIER before they become far more expensive to treat.

2. Right now we have somehow decided that it's an employer's responsibility to provide health insurance to employees. Why? That, to me, is a stupid rule. Let's take that massive cost monkey off the backs of American business so that they can use it how they wish. Let the plans be personal and portable so an employee doesn't have to worry about coverage if they take a new job or start a business.

3. Do you know how many different health care payment/delivery systems we have now? Group plans, individual (ACA) plans, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Worker's Compensation and indigent. That's SEVEN. And NONE of them communicate with the other. Does that seem smart and financially efficient to you? Not me. And yet we seem to be fine with it. That's just CRAZY. There are HUGE cost savings and other quality-based efficiencies to be had there.

Expanding the public/private Medicare / Medicare Supplement / Medicare Advantage system to all can be done if we stay smart. Let's start with some basic ideas and innovate from there. No plan will be perfect, but at least we can be SMART.
.

im still skeptical in regards to the government turning their focus and all of a sudden being more efficient.

Understandable. I can tell you first hand that there is a weirdly positive running tension between Medicare and the free market. In a way, they keep each other in line. But right now, this is a freaking mess.
.