Medicare Advantage and why the American Healthcare System is corrupt and broken

First, Medicare is a government program for almost all US citizens over 65 and many disabled people who are younger.

Second - A so-called Medicare Advantagte plan grants a corporation ownership of your healthcare and replaces Medicare if you sign up for
one of those plans - Theoretically you are supposed to get coverage at least equal to original Medicare.

Third - these plans are now relentlessly advertising now in the so called open enrolment period to get qualified people to enroll in their plan.

Fourth - these companeies are paid a set amount by Medicare if you enroll.

Fifth - The less these companies actually pay out to you after enrollment the better for them - Less payout more profit!

Sixth - One of the largest of these companies was charged under The RICO Statutes [The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act]
some years ago in the State of New York.

LET THE BUYER BEWARE !!!

And finally - Obamcare and no other Healthcare plan for Americans [except the rich] can succeed as long as these corrupt corporations
have any influence over American Healthcare.


God bless Bernie Sanders for at least trying to dig us out of the swamp
- Of course Trump also said he would dig us out of the swamp - Unfortunately an alligator is the last person in the World
to ask to dig you out of a swamp!

Read through the whole thing, ready to discuss,...and then it came. Another Trump slight.

So what is the thread topic? Healthcare, Bernie or Trump?

I'll address the healthcare issue. Two simple improvements would have a profound impact:

1) Eliminate the state lines insurance protection, forcing insurance companies to truly compete with one another, and

2) Require healthcare providers to publicly publish what they invoice healthcare consumers, producing a rolling average. If you're going to charge $500 for a cotton ball, I think consumers should have a right to know that in advance.

Prices would drop like a stone if both of those things were done.

There is no advantage to medicare.

FICA TAXES by you,your employer, capital gains surtax (triple taxation) on top of printing, and borrowing,issuing treasuries.

And accounts for over $1 trillion in current federal spending.

It should have NEVER been created.

www.cms.gov...

Get the state out of providing a corporate product to the masses. Health Insurance.

The government shouldn’t be involved in healthcare. Medicare is a terrible idea and will never be the panacea that some expect it to be. The fact that there are private options is encouraging to me because no matter how bad they seem they will at least be run more efficiently than anything managed by government bureaucrats.

It sad when some analysts at an insurance company decide what your treatment will be, not the doctor. If it is not covered then doctors won't prescribe.

a reply to: Metallicus

The health care system is financially out of control. Maybe last century someone could go in their pockets and pay for health care but not in this 21st century. That’s why the government is in practically every modern society’s health care system.

I'm on a Medicare Advantage Plan and it's a very good plan through Kaiser Permanente. My spouse is on another Medicare Advantage Plan through Regence and it is also very good. You are correct, but somewhat misleading. When you are on Medicare you pay a certain amount which is deducted from your social security. If you are on an Advantage Plan, an insurance company is assigned that amount, plus you pay a premium directly to the insurance company. So for the "assignment" of your social security deduction and your monthly premium you get full coverage. Most of these plans include Part D, which is drug coverage.

All plans, whether or not they are "Advantage" Plans, have a deductible, so, for example, it's $10 for an office visit, $40 for a visit to a specialist. My premium is $28.00 per month. My spouse's is $150 per month. Over the last three years, the trend has been down, not up. Why is mine so much less? I belong to an HMO and must use their doctors and their facilities. My wife does not and can use any facility anywhere. I've ALWAYS had this HMO; my wife has always had her provider, so that's why we're different. My prescriptions are $4.00 for a generic, going down to $3.00 next year. If you require a name brand it's more, but there's a cap that if you go over, they pay.

Yes, it's open enrollment season and they advertise for you to switch. Big Friggin' Deal. Good Lord, is advertising illegal these days? You have choices. Avail yourselves of them or not. And you know what? You get to keep your own doctor.

My wife is having surgery with general anesthesia this week. I do not expect the total bill to be more than a few hundred dollars for several months of care. The surgery itself is a whole lot scarier than the bill. I had cataract surgery earlier this year that would have cost $15,000. It cost me $500 total only because I had to go "out of network" because my HMO couldn't do it. But my vision has been restored to 20/20 and I would have paid anything for that! I had excellent care.

So I'm not sure what your beef is, but Medicare Advantage has proven very good for both of us. It's a very easy price per month for as close to full coverage as you can get. No giant deductibles. No hidden costs. Compared to what I had to pay for coverage before I was eligible for a "high deductible catastrophe" plan, for Medicare Advantage we are quite pleased.

Now, if you just want Medicare and don't want to be burdened with this $28 or $150 a month, you can do that, but "just" Medicare will pay significantly less. With the Advantage plans, you have what amounts to full coverage. I really can't find anything wrong with these plans, but I'm sure you can.

If you look at the top healthcare systems in the world you’ll see the government is in ALL OF THEM in some form.
The US BTW is not even close to the best...



nordic.businessinsider.com...

Bernie wants what will amount to Medicare Advantage for all. The only difference is that the government will run it, and taxes will be much higher....sales taxes and income taxes.

a reply to: Metallicus

then I would take it that you also disagree with the gov't spending all that money on medical research also, and those child vaccination programs, or heck, what about the cdc??

a reply to: carewemust

"Bernie wants what will amount to Medicare Advantage for all. The only difference is that the government will run it, and taxes will be much higher....sales taxes and income taxes."

Au contraire - That is what Obamare is - and why it failed.

Bernie wants, and has stated it, that he wants MEDICARE for all - There you pay 20% for most services and the
government pays the rest - Some services and hospital stays after a deductible are free for a limited time.

And the price of theses services is controlled by the government - If they agree to accept your Medicare insurance
they are limited to how much doctors can charge and you pay only 20% of that.

Thru your taxes you pay for health care.

why shouldn't we get the same healthcare the congressmen get instead of 2nd rate, expensive, insurance corp. controlled prices and if you have a preexisting condition...to bad.

a reply to: AlienView

Why can't your government get it together?

originally posted by: olaru12
why shouldn't we get the same healthcare the congressmen get....

Actually, insisting they get the same coverage the American public gets would provide better incentive for them to finally fix this disaster.

a reply to: InTheLight

"a reply to: AlienView

Why can't your government get it together?

Thanks for asking - Yes, and you know why?

Because Ameria has, what for the moment is a hopelessly divided nation.

The main group on the left thinks we can solve our problems by government
- And the main group on the right believes in something like corporate anarchy
where the corporations can be trusted, including with American healthcare and the government is the problem.

Unfortunately they are both moving further apart - What Ameica needs is a new middle of the the road
political reality - I even suggest a new political party that can a least try to represent more people
more of the time.

SEE:

"It's Time for a New Political Party in the United States"

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: olaru12
Thru your taxes you pay for health care.

why shouldn't we get the same healthcare the congressmen get instead of 2nd rate, expensive, insurance corp. controlled prices and if you have a preexisting condition...to bad.

You, obviously, are not worthy.

originally posted by: AlienView
a reply to: InTheLight

"a reply to: AlienView

Why can't your government get it together?

Thanks for asking - Yes, and you know why?

Because Ameria has, what for the moment is a hopelessly divided nation.

The main group on the left thinks we can solve our problems by government
- And the main group on the right believes in something like corporate anarchy
where the corporations can be trusted, including with American healthcare and the government is the problem.

Unfortunately they are both moving further apart - What Ameica needs is a new middle of the the road
political reality - I even suggest a new political party that can a least try to represent more people
more of the time.

SEE:

"It's Time for a New Political Party in the United State"

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Then make your votes count where it counts.

a reply to: AlienView

You'd need a plan to cover the 20% that Medicare doesn't pay. When Medicare was first designed, 20% wasn't much. Now, 20% of a heart surgery is $25,000..EASY.

originally posted by: AlienView
First, Medicare is a government program for almost all US citizens over 65 and many disabled people who are younger.

Second - A so-called Medicare Advantagte plan grants a corporation ownership of your healthcare and replaces Medicare if you sign up for
one of those plans - Theoretically you are supposed to get coverage at least equal to original Medicare.

Third - these plans are now relentlessly advertising now in the so called open enrolment period to get qualified people to enroll in their plan.

Fourth - these companeies are paid a set amount by Medicare if you enroll.

Fifth - The less these companies actually pay out to you after enrollment the better for them - Less payout more profit!

Sixth - One of the largest of these companies was charged under The RICO Statutes [The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act]
some years ago in the State of New York.

LET THE BUYER BEWARE !!!

And finally - Obamcare and no other Healthcare plan for Americans [except the rich] can succeed as long as these corrupt corporations
have any influence over American Healthcare.


God bless Bernie Sanders for at least trying to dig us out of the swamp
- Of course Trump also said he would dig us out of the swamp - Unfortunately an alligator is the last person in the World
to ask to dig you out of a swamp!

Even Bernie Sanders healthcare would be implemented by private companies. All Medicare, not just Advantage plans are currently provided by private companies. Medicare is provided by private companies. Obamacare is provided by private companies. Government just drafts the rules they operate under and pays some of the costs although most is still funded by payroll taxes. I like it this way and do not want a government run doctors office. You can find a company in every industry which has been charged with a crime. That doesn't make it a bad industry. You are going in the right direction but are quite short on facts.

originally posted by: loam
Read through the whole thing, ready to discuss,...and then it came. Another Trump slight.

So what is the thread topic? Healthcare, Bernie or Trump?

I'll address the healthcare issue. Two simple improvements would have a profound impact:

1) Eliminate the state lines insurance protection, forcing insurance companies to truly compete with one another, and

2) Require healthcare providers to publicly publish what they invoice healthcare consumers, producing a rolling average. If you're going to charge $500 for a cotton ball, I think consumers should have a right to know that in advance.

Prices would drop like a stone if both of those things were done.

Another one who has it wrong. Obamacare allowed insurance across state lines. Insurance companies didn't want to go across state lines.

My insurance companies have always been up front about costs if I bothered to ask. Most providers will tell you how much you will owe before treatment. That said not all procedures can be properly priced. Operate to remove cancer and find cancer elsewhere that needs to be removed. Should they stop, jolt the patient awake, and ask if they want to spend more money?

I am so sick of the ignorance! Railing against things that you don't even understand. Pure Idiocracy.