medigap under attack

[Danzig]

http://news.yahoo.com/limits-supplem...051359596.html


i am amazed. there are medigap plans out there that help seniors avoid medicare deductibles, which can be prohibitive.
the solution to medicare? ban the medigap! the thinking apparently is that if a senior has to pay the deductible, maybe he won't go to the doctor, thus saving medicare. there's convoluted logic for you.
now, i don't know many people who go to the doctor just for the hell of it. by banning medigap coverages, what will seniors who have to go to the doctor or hospital do when their medical bills go thru the roof???

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Danzig

http://news.yahoo.com/limits-supplem...051359596.html


i am amazed. there are medigap plans out there that help seniors avoid medicare deductibles, which can be prohibitive.
the solution to medicare? ban the medigap! the thinking apparently is that if a senior has to pay the deductible, maybe he won't go to the doctor, thus saving medicare. there's convoluted logic for you.
now, i don't know many people who go to the doctor just for the hell of it. by banning medigap coverages, what will seniors who have to go to the doctor or hospital do when their medical bills go thru the roof???

Just another effort to help balance the budget on the backs of those least able to afford it. I wonder how one defines "unnecessary" trips to the doctor?

[GenuineRisk]

It's very important we not raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy, who are going to start creating jobs any minute now. So money has to be cut from somewhere, as the deficit is so huge. Thus retired seniors, who are, let's face it, freeloaders at this point, are just going to have to pay more. And you know, if they'd been smarter, they would have saved more towards retirement and healthcare. So really, by proposing this cut, the super committee isn't doing anything other than making seniors take more personal responsibility for themselves.

[somerfrost]

:roll

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

It's very important we not raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy, who are going to start creating jobs any minute now. So money has to be cut from somewhere, as the deficit is so huge. Thus retired seniors, who are, let's face it, freeloaders at this point, are just going to have to pay more. And you know, if they'd been smarter, they would have saved more towards retirement and healthcare. So really, by proposing this cut, the super committee isn't doing anything other than making seniors take more personal responsibility for themselves.

Yeah, I wish I had been smart enough to live a more self-centered life.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

:roll

Yeah, I wish I had been smart enough to live a more self-centered life.

That's what you get for serving your country, Somer. People who were smart enough to have "other priorities" back then went on to become Vice President.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

That's what you get for serving your country, Somer. People who were smart enough to have "other priorities" back then went on to become Vice President.

Yeah, but they missed out on that summer vacation in beautiful (sic) Southeast Asia, with the leaches, mosquitoes and friendly natives...

[Danzig]

i can just see me and tony in 20 years...did everything we were supposed to do, and will still end up broke and eating cat food.
served our country? check
worked hard, paid taxes? check
401ks and insurance? check

get old. oh crap, now you're screwed. don't like too long folks. it doesn't pay.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

Yeah, but they missed out on that summer vacation in beautiful (sic) Southeast Asia, with the leaches, mosquitoes and friendly natives...

Ah, Viet Nam. The "conflict" that brought Ehrlichiosis back to us in the combat dogs.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i can just see me and tony in 20 years...did everything we were supposed to do, and will still end up broke and eating cat food.
served our country? check
worked hard, paid taxes? check
401ks and insurance? check

get old. oh crap, now you're screwed. don't like too long folks. it doesn't pay.

You've just described what "Occupy Wall Street" is all about.

[Cannon Shell]

"In his submission to the super committee, Obama proposed a 30 percent surcharge on premiums for new Medicare beneficiaries who buy low deductible Medigap plans starting in 2017."


Interesting

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i can just see me and tony in 20 years...did everything we were supposed to do, and will still end up broke and eating cat food.
served our country? check
worked hard, paid taxes? check
401ks and insurance? check

get old. oh crap, now you're screwed. don't like too long folks. it doesn't pay.

Don't worry Social Security will be around to cover you

Well duh on the surcharge. Really it's not going to be needed. UnitedHealth and Humana are wanting to control Medicare. They want PPO's with high deductibles and $0 cost preventative care. Plus low-cost bells and whistles like health club memberships and 24/7 telephone nurse, discount vitamins, etc.

The pretenders are doomed. AETNA, UHC, Humana and maybe one other will control the market.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

"In his submission to the super committee, Obama proposed a 30 percent surcharge on premiums for new Medicare beneficiaries who buy low deductible Medigap plans starting in 2017."


Interesting

ridiculous. this is what just pisses me off. tony and i can do everything possible to plan for the future, but if we buy medigap at retirement time, once again we're going to get the shaft. like those who buy those plans are the enemy!! you have to buy stuff like that, otherwise medicare isn't any 'care' at all. the deductibles are beyond outrageous. most health care plans have yearly deductibles, with a max limit. not medicare-it's per event, not per year. there's no max out of pocket. you have two events, you have two deductibles. and the amount? thousands, each time. there's no stop loss like with other health plans.
don't attempt to help out those who need it, let's just crush those who pay extra for extra stuff. it's their fault the system is failing.