My parents can't program a VCR - how would they "shop around for private Medicare"?

[democrat_patriot]

I'm just thinking of older people in general.

Taking a medicare program that is simple and making it impossible for seniors to figure out on their own.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

[randome]

1. All this crap about 'choice' is...crap.

People don't want an infinite number of decisions to make every day. They want things to work. That includes health care.

[jberryhill]

2. By talking to the friendly guy who called them on the phone

Or calling the 800 number in a late night TV commercial.

In other words, open season on scams.

[johnd83]

3. At least you can get decent specs on a VCR when you buy one

Getting any actual details on how a health plan would actually work is damn near impossible. How do you compare when you have no idea what you are buying?

[XemaSab]

4. What's a VCR?

[Hoyt]

5. I don't support any of Ryan's proposals, but lots of seniors nake choices regarding Medicare.

Supplemental policies, Medicare Advantage, prescription drugs coverage, etc. Under the ACA, many will be making choices to seek coverage from new integrated systems called "Accountable Care Organizations. "

Fortunately, all of those have pretty tight federal regulation.

[AngryAmish]

6. Get a broker? Like auto insurance I guess.

[BlueStreak]

7. Maybe their butler could do that for them.

Or one of their gardeners, if they aren't "illegals for Pete's sake"

[Zalatix]

8. Survival of the fittest.

That's the intent of privatizing Medicare - the fit ones will survive, the rest will die off.

Brought to you by the Pro-Life Party...

[Yavin4]

15. Hunger Games for the Elderly

That would make a good ad. Instead of young people, there would be senior citizens competing for a voucher.

[livetohike]

9. My mom (age 81) and my m-i-l (age 86) both are in various stages of dementia

They are widowed and both are still in their own homes for now.....there is no way either of them could handle the decision making required to shop for medical insurance. No way.

My Dad and f-i-l were in unions and as widows of retirees, our mothers are taken care of with their benefits needs and really don't have to make a yearly decision on what to do. If this GOP plan would take effect, it would extremely mentally and emotionally hard on them. I know we are not alone, either.

[IrishEyes]

10. My father has two Ph.Ds and is a college professor.

He still had no idea how to check messages on his cell phone. He also can't figure out how to use a laptop computer.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

13. Good for your dad.

Cell phones are an annoyance. They're not worth the time.

[dawg]

11. Life is too complicated for all of us.

I think simplicity is a value that Democrats would do well to embrace.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. My mother is legally blind, unable to walk, and 93. How could she?

[scheming daemons]

14. what is a vcr? have we magically returned to 1989?

[Fumesucker]

17. A lot of older people still have VCRs

I see great stacks of them in the thrift stores when the owners pass away and their children donate them to "charity" for the tax write off.

[surrealAmerican]

16. It's a good point.

If we actually want seniors (or anybody else for that matter) to have access to health care, we should be trying to make the process of obtaining good coverage as simple as possible.