Today, on Medicare's 45th birthday, I want to reflect on what the program means for me. Typically, people think of Medicare as a program that matters only for seniors. It is nearly universally available to Americans age 65 and older and pays for health care both in the event of a hospital emergency and for routine care, depending on what a person can afford. But Medicare matters not just to seniors. Medicare matters to children, to young adults and to Baby Boomers.
Medicare matters more than ever for my 83-year-old grandma who is very ill and, in the last few weeks, spent many days in and out of the hospital. My grandma lives with diabetes, high cholesterol and chronic heart problems. One of many grandchildren, I am largely on the periphery of her struggles. Living far away makes it hard to know the details or to be very helpful.
According to the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index), health care for an older adult in good health costs an average of $234 dollars per month. In this respect, my grandma is lucky. She can afford the supplements that make Medicare a more comprehensive health plan. Though her out-of-pocket costs are high, it comforts me to know that Medicare is there for her. It is good to know that of all the things she is worrying about, affording her care is not one of them. So, Medicare is not just there for my grandma. Medicare is there for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Still, many "what ifs" plague my family. What will happen when Medicare falls short? What if my grandma needs long-term care? What if she needs help on a daily basis and can't afford it? What if we can't help her with the cost? What if, after all those "what ifs", there's no other choice than a nursing home?
Thankfully, through health care reform, Medicare is significantly improved. Yet, there are still so many "what ifs". What if all seniors could afford comprehensive Medicare coverage? What if people age 55+ could access Medicare if they have no other health insurance? What if Medicare could help pay for some of the long-term care that only Medicaid covers? What if there were good options, both private and public, that made it so no one had to worry about affording health care or even long-term care? What if we lived in a country where all Americans could be healthy or be sick without a lingering case of the "what ifs"?
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I will hit the donut hole for the next 3 years due to having to take two brand names that don't have generics. It doesn[t take long to hit the donut hole when you and your insurance together pay $550 a month. The donut hole is when I pay in over $4000 total my part on prescriptions before getting any insurance help. I take generics when I can.
It will cost $10,800 for our combined Medicare this year. If my husband has to take a brand name it would make him hit the donut hole next year. If he happens to hit the donut hole we will be out $14,800. That is without us going into the hospital or having outpatient surgery or emergency care.
Some may not know that when a married couple get Medicare their health care costs are never combined as far as deductibles etc. Medicare is supposed to pick up the costs for those retirees who can't afford it. They would probably help us if we would apply. The thing is the high costs are going to ruin Medicare and bankrupt it. Instead of helping pay for the too high costs of medicine with Medicare money, they should bid for better prices or control them.
Here's the best one: what if every American woke up and realized we have a serious problem on our hands with Medicare and the only way to fix it would be to demand definitive action from their congressman, before we enter an irreversible national health crisis? What if ???
Medicare is taken out of payroll like Social Security....This isn't adding up. There is no cap on Medicare so what is costing so much?
Do they audit Medicare? Why don't they bid for better prices?
It must be profits.
Currently Medicare is open only to those in the high risk category, the elderly and disabled. If Medicare was available to ALL Americans and those younger were allowed to enroll, the system would be better funded, as the younger population uses the medical services less than those currently enrolled.
younger people, who are generally healthier, would rather not pay for health insurance and go without it, and do other things with their money. they never go to doctors. from their perspective, paying into such a system would be unfair, and they would be only supporting the older generation.
if you're an older person, forcing the young to pay more into the system would be a great idea. it really depends on who you are and what perspective ou're coming from.
Single payer IS the only sensible thing. Let the 'insurance' companies sell tummy-tuck, boob-job and butt-lift insurance. Our basic health is neither a joke nor an avenue for the Hemsley's (United Health) of the health-care-dollar-diversion industry.
I come from both sides. I worked all my life and became disabled. Even with insurance I ended up in bankruptcy.And yes the younger segment of society should be required to be enrolled in a single payer system. We have little control of our health, so equal access to medical service is essential.
After all, we are all required to have car insurance, not just those who have accidents and to think that healthy people would abuse the system is akin to claiming since we all have car insurance, let's have wrecks.