Taq writes:
quote:
Medicare for everyone is the best current solution. For people under 55 it could cover less and have people make up the difference with privately purchased supplemental insurance. For those 55 and older it could cover almost everything.
So you're arguing to expand Medicare for those over 55? Because that's how it currently works: Medicare Part B only covers 80% of expenses and you are on the hook for the rest of it. That's why there are so many Part B Supplemental Insurance plans out there.
Medicare Part A covers 60 days of hospitalization for a deductible for a bit over $1000. Since most hospitalizations are about five days, this isn't too bizarre.
Part B covers office visits, blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ER visits. It covers this at 80% with a deductible of about $200. Now, Medicare pays a rate for the services. If your doctor charges you $3000 for a procedure but Medicare says it will only pay $500 for it, then they will pay $400, you're on the hook for $100, and the rest is simply discarded. They have a schedule of rates.
You can buy a Part B co-insurance plan for a few thousand dollars a year which will cover the deductible and copays. Now for most people, they won't need Part B co-insurance, but you might need Part D coinsurance if you fall into the coverage gap.
Part D is the drug plan. You have a deductible to pay for your drugs (a few hundred dollars). After you reach the deductible, you then pay a percentage of the cost of the drug until you reach a higher limit (a few thousand dollars). Once you hit that level, you're then responsible for the full cost of your drugs until you reach the top deductible limit, after which you are only responsible for a copay or a small percentage of the drug.
In 2013, it would go like this:
1) You are responsible for 100% of the cost of your drugs until you hit $310.
2) You are then responsible for 25% of the cost of your drugs until you hit $2970.
3) You are then responsible for 100% of the cost of your drugs until you hit $4550.
4) You are then responsible for 5% for all drug costs or $2.65 generic/$6.60 name brand copay, whichever is greater, thereafter for that year.
Now, while you are in the donut hole (step 3), you will get a discount on the drugs (for 2013, 50% for name brand, 14% for generics).
Under the ACA, the donut hole was planned to be closed by 2020 and thus you'd only be at step 2: You pay until you hit the small deductible and are then only responsible for 25% of drug costs.
So depending upon your healthcare needs, you may need to buy Part B and/or Part D coinsurance. And that's for current Medicare patients. Are you asking to expand that even more?
Why not just expand the current Medicare system to all? Why restrict benefits to younger people? I can understand why we might need to ease into this since this is a big shift in the way medical care is managed, but I don't see any reason why your coverage should change just because of your age.
Rrhain
Thank you for your submission to Science. Your paper was reviewed by a jury of seventh graders so that they could look for balance and to allow them to make up their own minds. We are sorry to say that they found your paper "bogus," specifically describing the section on the laboratory work "boring." We regret that we will be unable to publish your work at this time.
Minds are like parachutes. Just because you've lost yours doesn't mean you can use mine.