Questions about Medicaid as a path toward universal coverage.

[RandySF]

My dad hates MeidCARE because the coverage is so spotty that he's paying $500/month for a supplemental private plan. Is MedicAIDE more comprehensive? If not, how much do we need to scap both and build from scratch? Thanks.

[shraby]

1. We have a supplemental that costs us no where near that much. Also Medicare is great!

Part A pays the hospital, part B pays 80% of what's left. The supplemental picks up the rest.
Mr. Shraby had 6 bypasses on his heart and the whole schmear cost us about 1500 dollars. Period.

Medicare and supplemental picked up the rest. The ambulance that took him from the local hospital to the one in Green Bay cost us 1 hundred dollars we had to pay out of pocket.

[pangaia]

2. Somethimg is fishy with that.

I never heard of such. I've had Medicare for about 8 years. In addition to the Medicare Premium Now about $134/mo, I may a non-profit company about $95/mo for the "other 20%" plus Part D.

[RandySF]

3. I don't think he shopped around much

He has Blue Cross.

[Demsrule86]

4. There is no point in worrying about it right now...and there plenty of plans cheaper than what you

describe...my hubs older sister is on medicare.

[MiddleClass]

5. He is right and wrong, very wrong about Medicare

Medicare covers 80 percent of all medical needs, the keyword being needs.

Most supplementals only cover the remaining 20 percent,

so he pays 104 dollars a month for 80 percent coverage and 500 dollars for 20 percent coverage.

Hospitalization is paid in full, minus a yearly deductible, which the subsidy pays

sub MediGap plans cover prescriptions, and do fill in some arcane Medicare rules that have not been updated.

Doctors love Medigap, and Medicare advantage, because one pays that 20 percent. So they don't have to go after anybody for the 20 percent, advantage they like it because it funnels you into their office and not anybody else.

I don't know if the Medicare protections (can't sue for more than 20 percent of what Medicare allows). I believe they can, but I could be wrong. Only anecdotal proof of that, so really no proof.

Medicaid is a state run program, and in most states, not many doctors take the plan or the pavements because they are so minuscule, whereas almost everybody takes Medicare because the federal government restricts doctors from charging senior citizens, more than the Medicare rate, even when you don't accept Medicare funds. That last part is a huge incentive or lack thereof.

Bernie's original plan was really Medicaid for all, Bernie, forced Hillary's plan to be Medicare for all.

[mucifer]

6. I know here in Illinois they are privatizing medicaid. Crappy insurance companies

are "managing" things. BCBS and Aetna seem to be popular ones. No they don't get coverage like other BCBS plans.

Not that any plan is good these days.

[MiddleClass]

9. Here in New York. It's Feddellous (sp)

It sucks, cancer hospitals do not take it, most heart specialists don't take it, a lot of specialists, again, anecdotal proof

[J_William_Ryan]

7. Medicare

is a Federal program, Medicaid is administered by the states.

For those eligible for Medicare there are means-tested Medicaid programs that address Medicare ‘gaps’ and other out-of-pocket expenses.

As already correctly noted, Medicare is an excellent program, and if one is over income or over asset for a state Medicaid program for Medicare beneficiaries, there are affordable supplemental plans that will pay for what Medicare doesn’t cover.

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. Supplement shouldnt be more than $130 or so.

Part D another $30.

So I am confused.

BTW I agree there should be NO supplemental need, it should be birth to death, 100% full coverage including dental and RX.

Anything else is absurd.

He might be in a higher income bracket and pay more for Part B and is saying that between that, the supplement and D it is $500?

[Jersey Devil]

10. $500 for supplemental sounds awfully high

I pay $134 for A&B, $235 mo for supplemental (Plan N) for myself and my wife and $46 for Part D. The supplemental and Part D may vary by where you live.

[pnwmom]

11. He should compare plans. But for someone his age, when medical costs can be so high, he's probably

not doing that badly. I wonder about the $500 figure though.

Here's a link about comparing plans:

https://www.medicare.gov/supplement-other-insurance/compare-medigap/compare-medigap.html

[MiddleClass]

12. There was a time, Medicare was archaic

They would pay for your leg to be amputated, but wouldn't pay for the testing, strips, medication to avoid it in the first place. That's updated.

They would pay for surgery, but not for therapy to avoid this surgery. That's updated.

They wouldn't pay for a nurse practitioner to see you, it had to be a medical doctor. That's updated.

They wouldn't pay for IV treatments outside of a hospital environments. That's updated.

They didn't pay for any maintenance keep you mobile, but would pay for a new hip when you fell. That's been updated.

On and on, if you went for 10 years without signing up for Medicare, without having any other insurance, your Medicare bill would be astronomical, not 104 dollars a month (now 139 for recent sign-ups). Your father's supplemental might pay for, refreshments, I'm trying not to say lollipop or Flintstone Band-Aids, (sorry I couldn't resist)

. Another thing, good retirement plans like the post office, the telephone company, the electric company, paid crazy pensions that just cover 20 percent. So is capitalism

[mountain grammy]

13. At 69, I pay a little over $100/month for Medicare

$160/year deductible, pays 80%. I pay $136/month for supplemental for the other 20% plus prescriptions, of which I luckily have none, with a $500/year deductible. Non profit vs profit.