If you had the choice of buying into a "Medicare type" of plan.....

[Postman]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/10

would you do it if it offered less coverage than the plan you have now?(if you're already insured)

Private insurers are fearful of customers dropping their plan for a "Medicare type" of plan. But would they leave if the coverage it offered were less than the coverage of the private plan?

I've a feeling that if it were to come to fruition, the option to buy into a Medicare type of plan, the coverages would be less than what a private insurer would offer in order to kowtow to the health insurance industry.

[xchrom]

1. why can't things be done in reverse -- medicare for all -- if someone wants and can

afford additional insurance -- then they can buy that as well?

[FLDCVADem]

8. To me

That would be the best solution.

[yy4me]

2. I have Medicare and it has huge gaps in it. I suppose that it is

better than no insurance but there is still a yearly deductible, co-pays, no drug coverage and the cost of supplements to cover what part B(doctors) does not cover are large. I pay just under $100.00 a month for part B alone. No drug, and I get the balance bill from the Doctors after visits. I think if it included drug coverage, it would be better. You can still end up with thousands of dollars of hospital and doctor bills because Medicare only covers 80% of your bill after you have met the deductible. You are on your own with the medicine.

Hard on us old folks with just Social Security.

[Postman]

5. That is absolute bullsh*t.

IMO if you're on Medicare, there should be NO COSTS to the patient. Period.

We could fully subsidize Medicare with a STET tax....
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/09/26

[pnwmom]

3. I guess it would all depend on what the plans covered or didn't cover.

[Oregone]

4. I think a lot of people would, because the private market would change

The private market would offer cheap and affordable supplemental plans to fill the gaps in the Medicare coverage. The total bill would be a fraction of what full private would cost.

Yeah, call it a hunch, but Im 99% sure that is what would happen.

[FLDCVADem]

6. Nope

I wouldn't buy into a government plan that isn't as good as I already have.

[NC_Nurse]

7. I would like to have the option. Now not having any options, I'm locked into

a job for the insurance. If I could get a Medicare-type of plan, then I could switch jobs when I wanted without going
completely uninsured. I bet those same companies could make a lot of money selling the kind of supplemental insurance they currently sell
to those on Medicare. Then you could have better coverage AND portability.

[readmoreoften]

9. How could I be LESS covered than the plan I'm currently on?

My partner and I pay $180 a month for our coverage through her work (leaving about a whopping $450 a month in earnings usually) and I can't afford the co-pay to go to the doctor, get treatment, and my medication isn't covered.

Other than maybe coming in handy in an immediate, life-threatening scenario, it's cost me more with insurance than I'd be paying out of pocket so far.