Health Care Reform Part IV: The Trumpening

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by Knave, Dec 3, 2016.

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  1. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here’s the thing, I do care. It’s why I do what I do.

    I often work in food pantries and soup kitchens helping people understand what they can and can’t qualify for.

    Last year there was a couple that had bought Med Supps 10 years back that they were going to have to sell their house to afford. I laid out their options and put them in a much less expensive MA. I got a thank you card from their kids.

    I do care about this stuff. So when I’m called a shill it pisses me off a bit.

    I’m not hiding anything, not shilling for anything and certainly not being dishonest about any of this.

    M’s situation is so rare yet he is painting the whole system with his shitty colored brush.

    There are 10,000 people a day that are eligible for Medicare coverage and that will stay pretty consistent for a few years. Maybe 1% of those will do what M did.
     
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  2. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    #5302 M, Jun 24, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2020
    Still being defensive about Medicare I see. I mean, why? It's pretty clear that its interactions with other insurance-based access are an inconsistent mess. Why do you think the Medicare Rights Center is pushing to get this fixed through legislation? Because it's so rare? Lol.

    To repeat:

    "The Medicare Rights Center and other advocacy groups have proposed legislation that would require the federal government to notify people approaching eligibility about enrollment rules, and how Medicare works with other types of insurance. The legislation — the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act, also would eliminate coverage gaps now experienced by enrollees during the Initial Enrollment Period and General Enrollment Period. The legislation was introduced in Congress last year, and will be reintroduced this year."

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/business/medicare-enrollment-how-to-sign-up.html

    The legislation has even got bipartisan sponsors. Perhaps you should contact them and tell them they're wasting their time because these issues only affect M?

    "Supporters: More than 85 national and state organizations representing older adults, people with disabilities, workers, health insurers, agents and brokers as well as paper manufacturers, including AARP, Aetna, AFL-CIO, AHIP, Better Medicare Alliance, BlueCross BlueShield Association, Medicare Rights Center and The Arc of the United States, among others. "

    https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BENES Act One Pager 0419.pdf
     
  3. dapip

    dapip Member+

    Sep 5, 2003
    South Florida
    Club:
    Millonarios Bogota
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    Just a reminder that the Trump administration is trying to kill the ACA in the middle of a pandemic.
     
  4. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    In my zip code (San Francisco) the three available UHC Advantage plans all require referrals to see a specialist.
     
  5. dapip

    dapip Member+

    Sep 5, 2003
    South Florida
    Club:
    Millonarios Bogota
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    So, when is our resident expert coming clean?


     
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  6. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    Following up on my own post, here's more support for the proposed legislation to simplify the Medicare enrollment mess:

    "Today, the Medicare Rights Center sent congressional leaders a letter of support for the BENES Act (S. 1280/H.R. 2477) signed by 10 former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (previously the Health Care Financing Administration) Administrators—a group made up of Republicans and Democrats.

    Reintroduced last year, the bipartisan, bicameral BENES Act is urgently needed to modernize and simplify the Medicare Part B enrollment process. Currently, far too many people make honest mistakes when trying to understand and navigate this confusing system. The consequences of such missteps are significant—including late enrollment penalties, higher out-of-pocket health care costs, gaps in coverage, and barriers to accessing needed services."

    https://www.medicarerights.org/medicare-watch/2020/07/09/bipartisan-group-of-former-cms-administrators-sign-letter-of-support-for-the-benes-act
     
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  7. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    I never did the American health care thing before because I wasn't sick. Now that i have had my first experience, it's amazing. I don't believe that anybody outside the U.S. could ever understand.

    Example - I had talked with 2 guys on the four-person cardio team, the one who did my procedure and one of his partners. Just before I was going to check out of the hospital, a third guy dropped by, looked at my chart, and wished me luck. He was there, oh 3 minutes, with no information imparted. That was a $177 visit, it turns out.

    Item by item, they all look like that.
     
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  8. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
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  9. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Sanders has been totally, completely right forever. It astonishes me that in the U.S., at least until recently, his health care position has been considered radical. Say what? People, listen to yourself.
     
  10. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You're going to buy a beret, aren't you?
     
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  11. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Ain't no point in being a Frenchman if I can't smoke. Or (for the moment) drink. But a Kiwi would suffice, those people do socialism well.
     
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  12. chad

    chad Member+

    Jun 24, 1999
    Manhattan Beach
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's too bad Sanders hasn't been a more effective senator.
     
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  13. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not really. Dude thinks the Scandinavian countries are still in the 1970's.
     
  14. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    I only meant Bernie's health care policies.
     
  15. SetPeace

    SetPeace Member+

    Jun 22, 2004
    SC Illinois
    Club:
    Torquay United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When I retired 4 years ago, I had 245 un-used sick days. Over the course of 24 years on the job, I had only taken off 43 times due to illness or medical appointments.

    I received a severance package of nearly $18,000 when I retired, but after surgeries in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (all on unrelated matters), the severance pay was drained! So, yes, I'm a big fan of Medicare For All, and I'm really not concerned about how it's paid for. People in other countries have medical procedures and never see a bill, or the bills they get are manageable, for the most part. I'm still paying for my 2018 surgery in which I had a couple of stents put into a couple of arteries.

    Good luck with your recovery JohnR. Mine's been pretty good, even though I kept smoking for 15 months after my procedure. Today, I feel like a new man, albeit financially strapped until I start drawing on Social Security early next year.
     
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  16. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    #5317 M, Jul 18, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2020
    Coming back to the potential covid costs for a Medicare recipient. You can deduce from this article that, for 2018 - couldn't find moire recent figures - 59 million Medicare users, 19 million of them on Medicare Advantage plans. That leaves 40 million on original Medicare, 13.6 million of whom had a Medigap policy. So that leaves 26.4 million on original Medicare with no Medigap policy, i.e almost 45% of Medicare recipients. I can well believe the percentage on Advantage plans has increased since then, but that "almost no one does that" is clearly erroneous.

    https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/15/use...our-advantage-plan-for-original-medicare.html
     
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  17. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    Another nice Medicare "gotcha". The "Medicare Advantage open enrollment" period is from Jan 1st to March 31st. This allows you to change what Advantage plan you are enrolled in, amongst other things, with you new plan taking effect the following month. But... any annual deductible is based on the calendar year. So change plan in, say, February, you'll be starting from scratch with any deductible the new plan has starting in March (and probably not fulfilling any deductible of the old plan in January/February).

    Yes, you can also change your Advantage plan between October 15th and December 7th during "Medicare open enrollment", with coverage in any new plan starting on January 1st, but why have an additional separate Advantage open enrollment period in the first 3 months of the year? It seems designed to trip people up.
     
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  18. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I could explain the reasoning but to what end? It’s pretty clear what you opinion is and none of the information I have given you has been received in good faith, so why should I try?

    All government programs have issues. I’m not overly interested in arguing with someone who only wants to continue to argue.

    If you actually want information I can provide it.

    If your purpose is to bitch, take it up with your congressional representatives that change the rules annually.
     
  19. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    I don't think it's "bitching" to point out how messed up Medicare rules are in many regards. And I'm still not sure why you are so defensive about Medicare: requiring a change tof Advantage plan during the "Medicare Advantage open enrollment period" to incur two separate deductibles during the calendar year is... nonsense.
     
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  20. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
  21. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Do you support medicare for all, cancelling all private health insurance?
     
  22. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    That last part is silly.
     
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  23. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Yeah, that's why I think Biden's health care plan makes more sense.
     

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