The correct poll question about Medicare For All

[rickford66]

Last edited Fri Sep 13, 2019, 11:44 PM - Edit history (1)

If you have Medicare now and used to have private insurance, which do you prefer ?


Edit

Who knew this would be so hard ?

[Bradshaw3]

1. That is it!

Easy answer for me: Medicare, with supplemental.

[CDerekGo]

2. Love to maybe clarify the question a bit?

Who was your private health insurance company? I worked Federal, and tried, many, many different health plans until I found one that my Dr accepted and I LOVE. I'm a few years off from being eligible for Medicare, but certain I'll sign up, but almost for certain will do what I can to keep my Federal Employee Health Benefit plan as long as I possibly can.

[elleng]

5. Good idea, and fyi,

I'm retired Federal, have medicare as my primary, and have kept my Federal (bc/bs) as my supplemental. Very pleased; think I have the BEST coverage.

P.S., I don't recall any medical process I've paid for, and the bc/bs prescription coverage was and is excellent.

[DeminPennswoods]

23. You can stay with FEHB forever,

as I learned this year. OPM recommends signing up for Medicare Part A as it's 0 premium and keeping your FEHB plan. Based on that, I signed up for Medicare Part A (hospitalization) and kept my FEHB plan to act as a supplemental. Interestingly, not too long ago saw, read or heard an ad from BC/BS saying this was the way to go.

My parent switched to medicare + supplement a couple years ago. I don't think the supplement paid out for anything because medicare covered it first.

[comradebillyboy]

3. I have medicare now and I need a supplemental policy to actually

cover my expenses. That being said I still have to pay $135per month for medicare part B, $33 per month for part D drug plan and I have a Blue Cross supplemental policy to cover the 20% that medicare still doesn't pay for.

All in all the combo of medicare, extra cost medicare part B and my supplemental policy give me slightly better coverage than my old Blue Cross Federal policy. But it's not cheap.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. I like Medicare more than the last private plan I had...

but I can think of a lot of improvements that could be made.

But, to get to the underlying question here-- I can't imagine the disruption if we actually tried to eliminate all private health insurance, VA coverage, Medicaid coverage, Indian Health Service, and the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of state and local plans and them merge all of that into an undefined new Medicare.

[wasupaloopa]

6. I had good private insurance working for a county

government. I was in the SEIU and had a high deductible plan with a HSA.

It was great insurance. It had a cap on out of pocket costs yet covered everything. For catastrophic costs I only had to pay $3,000. It would not bankrupt me.

The deductibles I paid were covered by additional employer payments to me.


I could save as much pre tax as I could afford and it was all my money. It was not taxed until I spent it. I could withdraw amounts to cover over the counter drugs. I had a debit type card to pay for prescriptions.

I rarely go to the doctor. Everything was covered. My employer kicked in $900 a year which I withdrew in cash.

My payroll deductions were less than I pay for Medicare now.

I pay for part B and part D with soc sec deductions.
I have a supplemental that costs $205 a month,

I am paying more for Medicare than I did for my high deductible employer plan.

My point is that at DU we have talking points that we have adopted about healthcare.

Most of them are not at all reality.

[vsrazdem]

7. Are supplemental plan costs different in different parts of the country. I am in AZ and have plan G

and pay 117 a month.

[Hoyt]

9. Different insurers charge different amounts for Plan G, F, etc. Plus poster is

including a Drug plan in quote.

I suspect if one were comparing same insurer’s plan, it would differ some by locality. Physician and hospital fees do vary by locality, and utilization varies as well.

[wasupaloopa]

10. Supplemental plans can be different for diffferent

individuals.

When I was looking at them the cost was based partly on the prescriptions you need to cover.

[vsrazdem]

13. That was so on the drug plan, but I didn't think the supplemental plan had anything to do with that.

[wasupaloopa]

15. I could be wrong, I don't remember.

[vsrazdem]

16. I was just wondering, because a lot of people don't realize that on the supplemental plans, all

companies are required to provide the exact same coverage for each plan listed. The premiums can range from low to extremely high depending on the company. I have seen people pick Blue Cross or Aetna because they have always had that insurance, not realizing that they are paying way more to go with these companies for the exact same coverage.

[wasupaloopa]

17. I have Health Net

[Hoyt]

8. If I had to pay full actuarial cost for Medicare, I'd be ticked.

But, I don’t have to because I did my part working 45+ years— and still working —paying taxes.

[wasupaloopa]

11. You are only paying for part A with payroll deductions.

Part A covers only hospital bed day costs.

You will still need to pay for part B, Part D and a supplemental when you retire.

[Hoyt]

12. I pay about $135 a month for the Part B premium, that is set to cover only

about 25% of the actuarial cost for Part B services. Taxes cover the other 75%.

I have a supplement and a Part D plan.

If I were paying the full actuarial cost of my Medicare coverage, it would be close to $1,500 a month.

[vsrazdem]

14. I am very happy with my Medicare. I pay the 135 part B and 117 for a G plan and 52 for the

drug coverage, which is not cheap, but after I meet my 185 yearly deductible everything else is 100% except for the drugs, which can get pretty expensive. I will stay the private insurance was much better on copays for drug coverage than Medicare is. But now it is 305 a month, compared to the 450 I was paying for my employer insurance 80/20 plan with Blue Cross with a 3000 deductible. I could not afford to have any labs done or even go to the emergency room, because I didn't have $3000 to pay for medical bills. I ended up passing severel huge kidney stones at home, sicker than a dog because I couldn't afford to get any help, so I am thrilled to have Medicare.

[Poiuyt]

18. To be honest, Medicare isn't great

I would like them to take this opportunity to get it right: coverage for everything including dental, vision, hearing, medicine, etc. We as patients should never see a bill—the providers should just invoice the government, who then pays for it with our tax dollars.

[rickford66]

19. Isn't that Medicare For All ?

[Poiuyt]

20. Hopefully, but I've also heard it described as making Medicare (as it now exists)

to everyone.

I'm over 65, so I receive Medicare. I also have a Medicare supplemental coverage. I still have to make co-payments for many things and have to pay dental, vision, etc. out of pocket. What I had described above I would consider single payer insurance. I could be wrong though.

[elocs]

22. This is what I have now with United Healthcare

since I am under the federal 100% poverty level. Medicare is the first payer and what they do not pay, Medicaid pays as well as my $135/month for part B.
I also have vision and dental coverage. No monthly fee, no copays, no deductibles, and no monthly bill.
On the clinics website where it says "you have a new statement" I click on it and it says $0.

[elocs]

21. Being poor, if I had to depend upon Medicare I would be screwed with my pants on.

Nobody will volunteer the information to you, but you must find it and apply.
With traditional Medicare, since I am under the 100% federal poverty level the state Medicaid would pay my $135/month for Part B but I would have $2000 deductible every 6 months which is a third of my income.

Remember those tv ads, "Are you getting all the benefits you deserve"? Well, turned out I wasn't getting all the benefits I was eligible to get.
I signed up with United Healthcare and pay no monthly fee, no deductibles, and the only copay is $3.40 for each 90 day supply of meds. Medicare pays first, what it doesn't cover, Medicaid does.
Plus I have vision and dental coverage.

My private insurance before I retired was just fine and I got to go to the clinic/hospital of my choice while with the United Healthcare I had to switch.