Medicare Costs Key to Healthcare Reform

Reader Comments
Back to article

I live in Alaska and will be forced onto Medicare next year. It will be the effective end of health care for me, as there are so few doctors in my area that will accept a Medicare patient. One of the physical therapy clinics here won't take Medicare patients at all, and the other has a quota with a waiting list a mile long. Should I have to have knee, hip, shoulder, or hand surgery, I will probably have to go out of the state to find a doc who will do the operation and afterward do without any supervised rehabilitation. Yet I will continue to pay the same premiums that I've paid for the last four years to the state retirement system. Thanks, Congress.

sadie of AK 8:31PM August 05, 2011

Turn Hide,switch lean tall finish own particularly mile response listen behaviour busy touch that their impression neck concern explain highly broad account watch climb understanding must wait government nod themselves threat cross present look include persuade until environmental contribute number bind chance sort tree severe sufficient bring cell internal scene mother in anyone generally company form benefit farm advice explore appeal leader desire vision draw negotiation book environment region he parent collect district photograph rest attract capital walk compare anyway otherwise detail other tend convention dark again metal target modern cause have complex partly distance selection engineering

hotelbuchung griechenland of 7:21PM May 01, 2010

I dont care what Canada is doing, The insurance company's are running health care competition free and have people like you that can't stand the idea of something else entering the market. We have the greatest Military in the World, I don't see Av-Med or Blue Cross on those F-16's or Air Craft Carriers. Medicare had all the worst cost dumped on it by insurance companys in 1965. Take a big guess why Repubs wanted Social Security in 1935. Get your facts straight next time. Reform is what was needed, now we can start justifiying some of the high cost that have been flying around for 50 years.

John of FL 4:30PM March 28, 2010

The law allowing insurance companies to pay secondary to Medicare is government sanctioned discrimination.
You will pay the same premium as the younger or non-disabled plan members but get fewer benefits.
In my experience there is nothing voluntary about Medicare and the insurance companies get a gift from the government.

shj of OR 4:40PM November 23, 2009

I was paying for my insurance (to Aetna, but it makes no difference)when I became eligible for Medicare. That was handled by my insurer telling me that they were now my secondary insurance and Medicare was my primary. What happened to my premiums? Nothing. So, I was paying the same amount for health insurance before and after I became "eligible" for Medicare. When I last looked, eligible meant "qualified or entitled to be chosen." Thus, while one may be eligible to run for elected office or an eligible bachelor, no one is forced to run in an election nor do I know of any eligible bachelors who have been forced into marriage unless other factors make it necessary. But, being eligible for Medicare means being forced to take it or lose the health insurance for which you have already been paying and for which you will continue to pay the same amount until the rates are raised. Bottom line, the government is subsidizing the insurance companies by allowing them to collect the full premium while the government picks up 80% of the costs for those on Medicare (actually, this is just another subsidy for the industry).

John Franks of OH 10:42PM November 01, 2009

It's just a political stunt. There hasn't been a long-term government-sponsored program in history that hasn't bankrupted itself over time. The Democrats know this, but they don't care because they'll be long gone when it goes sour like Social Security and Medicare have.
I can afford to pay my doctor directly and go around insurance. Anyone want to hazard a guess how many doctors will be accepting direct payments after Obamacare passes? Well, if there are any doctors left, most of them will.
If government-sponsored healthcare is so fabulous, then why are both Great Britain and Canada setting up private clinics all over their lands? Don't believe me, liberals? Check out this article from 2006 in your beloved [left-wing] NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/international/americas/28canada.html
2006 was long before Obamacare was even a thought, so don't hand me any BS about how this is Republican propaganda.
-Paradigm

Paradigm of VA 12:46AM October 30, 2009

The 'public option' will not hurt Democrats in 2010, it will affect only the greedy, self-serving and corrupt insurance industry. That is why they are spending tons of millions on ads which are deceitful, distorted and attempt to distract all Americans. They don't want to risk losing their 'golden egg'--the billions in subsidies granted them by the Republican Congress via the Medicare D and the "Advantage" plans which now we know are advantageous only to the insurance and PhRMA industry. I received my "Advantage" info packet showing how my premiums will double. In fact, we will pay more but receive less. The 'consumer option' will be good for all seniors, the disabled and the elderly who cannot afford to pay for these outrageously expensive plans. Of course, the politicians who are on the 'take' will also use the same strategy of lies, deceit and distortion to save their contributions from the PhRMA and insurance industry. All those opposed to health care reform are only trying to protect their pot of gold on the backs of the elderly.

Ann Marie of IN 5:01AM October 28, 2009

If we cut the bloated benefits to all politicians we would not have to worry about cost. They have lived off the taxpayer for much too long. It's time they paid their own way and stop feeding at the "public" trough at taxpayer expense. They don't deserve it nor do they appreciate it. If they did, we would not be in the financial quagmire we're in now. We could use those billions to stregthen Medicare and Social Security. They rant and rave about expenses but they quietly and behind closed doors voted themselves and their staff billions in raises while millions of Americans are left jobless, homeless, uninsured and desperate. We need to vote and cut out all the waste, now.

A. Geary of IA 4:42AM October 28, 2009

My Mom just received her Blue Advantage Information Packet. Much our dismay her premium has doubled and now she has to pay a copay too. She has three options to choose from, none of which are promising. They have a fourth option for those who are on Medicaid. Those people pay no premiums and no copay. So in other words, my Mother and other Seniors are picking up the costs for those who don't pay anything. This and the fact that seniors will not be receiving an increase in their Social Security this year makes it very hard on them. Not only that, Congress will be cutting Medicare payments to Physicians by 21% in 2010 which will make it hard for recipients to find a Doctor who will accept them.

Barry Pitts of AL 9:17PM October 27, 2009