My 87 year old dad's incredible healthcare

[spidey07]

He's getting up in age and the subject of his health came up as he's had numerous heart surgeries and recently a pace maker. Simple question I asked was "is medicare covering all of this?". Because we're talking a ton of healthcare related costs and expense.

Oh god no, he said. Medicare wouldn't come close but he gets to have pretty much any procedure he wants, from any specialist or doctor he wants. How does he get the greatest care in the world?

Supplemental insurance. 200 bucks a month to supplement medicare and that insurance picks up what medicare won't. Yep, those evil insurance companies are making sure my dad lives a long and happy life without depleting his nest egg he's living off of.

 

[Vette73]

So you support this?


Sounds pretty liberal to me. Your dad is taking the money others are making due to his "lifestyle". I thought you were against this.
Oh thats right you are a hack and don;t like it when you pay out but when your girlfriend makes money as a Gov employee its well earned and when you have to pay out for others they are the theives etc...

 

[senseamp]

He's getting up in age and the subject of his health came up as he's had numerous heart surgeries and recently a pace maker. Simple question I asked was "is medicare covering all of this?". Because we're talking a ton of healthcare related costs and expense.

Oh god no, he said. Medicare wouldn't come close but he gets to have pretty much any procedure he wants, from any specialist or doctor he wants. How does he get the greatest care in the world?

Supplemental insurance. 200 bucks a month to supplement medicare and that insurance picks up what medicare won't. Yep, those evil insurance companies are making sure my dad lives a long and happy life without depleting his nest egg he's living off of.

Would supplemental insurance cover all of it without Medicare? Do you really think his premium would be $200/month or even $2000/month without Medicare?
He gets his care paid for by combination of government and private supplemental insurance. That is a good model, basics covered by government, you pay for bells and whistles.

 

[spidey07]

The point is medicare doesn't cover everything and private insurance is still the best way to make sure your health is adequately insured. And it's very affordable as well.

 

[Phokus]

HAHAHAHAHA, you're dumb as hell, see what type of insurance he'd get WITHOUT medicare (if any insurance company would even insure him).

 

[waggy]

The point is medicare doesn't cover everything and private insurance is still the best way to make sure your health is adequately insured. And it's very affordable as well.

hmm. wonder how well off he would be without medicare. what his premiums would be.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

The point is medicare doesn't even deliver sufficient coverage. You NEED supplemental insurance to cover the potholes medicare leaves behind. Now you want to give this insufficient coverage to every American? Expect quality to be driven down more. now instead of pot holes you just get unpaved roads. Good luck with that.

Edit: Just because Medicare is bad and many people feel that way, doesn't mean you tell them to get off it. The fact is Medicare and SS are just bad deals. We're getting ripped off. But since you already paid for it and can't get your money, you might as well accept whatever shit they throw at you. It's better than walking away right? So you take what you can get and you dump more money to purchase supplemental insurance to get what you REALLY need.

It's like the government throwing you free housing. Here's a 60 year old shack that's falling apart. When winter comes, you will have a leaky roof. Everyone who bites has to throw money into roofing. When they complain that the house sucks, you tell them "Why don't you move out?" Well it was free house. But it doesn't mean it doesn't suck for a house...

 

[Vette73]

The point is medicare doesn't even deliver sufficient coverage. You NEED supplemental insurance to cover the potholes medicare leaves behind. Now you want to give this insufficient coverage to every American? Expect quality to be driven down more. now instead of pot holes you just get unpaved roads. Good luck with that.

So you answer to limited healthcare is no healthcare. So thats how we fix it. Oh wait... :hmm:

 

[senseamp]

The point is Medicare is picking up most of the tab. $200/month for an 87 year old is nothing. He would be uninsurable without Medicare. OP, your grandpa is alive and well because of the government, you can thank LBJ.

 

[Phokus]

The point is medicare doesn't even deliver sufficient coverage. You NEED supplemental insurance to cover the potholes medicare leaves behind. Now you want to give this insufficient coverage to every American? Expect quality to be driven down more. now instead of pot holes you just get unpaved roads. Good luck with that.

Edit: Just because Medicare is bad and many people feel that way, doesn't mean you tell them to get off it. The fact is Medicare and SS are just bad deals. We're getting ripped off. But since you already paid for it and can't get your money, you might as well accept whatever shit they throw at you. It's better than walking away right? So you take what you can get and you dump more money to purchase supplemental insurance to get what you REALLY need.

It's like the government throwing you free housing. Here's a 60 year old shack that's falling apart. When winter comes, you will have a leaky roof. Everyone who bites has to throw money into roofing. When they complain that the house sucks, you tell them "Why don't you move out?" Well it was free house. But it doesn't mean it doesn't suck for a house...

The funny thing is, you probably think private insurance for the elderly would be affordable if medicare wasn't around.

edit: also very appropriate username/post combination.

 

[spidey07]

hmm. wonder how well off he would be without medicare. what his premiums would be.

I wonder how much money he paid into medicare? He was pretty successful and remember there is NO CAP on medicare tax like social security. How much money could he have grown all that into today?

 

[waggy]

The point is medicare doesn't even deliver sufficient coverage. You NEED supplemental insurance to cover the potholes medicare leaves behind. Now you want to give this insufficient coverage to every American? Expect quality to be driven down more. now instead of pot holes you just get unpaved roads. Good luck with that.

Edit: Just because Medicare is bad and many people feel that way, doesn't mean you tell them to get off it. The fact is Medicare and SS are just bad deals. We're getting ripped off. But since you already paid for it and can't get your money, you might as well accept whatever shit they throw at you. It's better than walking away right? So you take what you can get and you dump more money to purchase supplemental insurance to get what you REALLY need.

It's like the government throwing you free housing. Here's a 60 year old shack that's falling apart. When winter comes, you will have a leaky roof. Everyone who bites has to throw money into roofing. When they complain that the house sucks, you tell them "Why don't you move out?" Well it was free house. But it doesn't mean it doesn't suck for a house...

i agree. but whats the answer? sure government run health care is NOT the greatest. but then pure private run health care is not the answer either. the cost and limits would be insane and many would not be able to afford it.

i don't t hink a pure system of either way is the answer. a good combanation seems the best bet.

 

[Infohawk]

Phokus is right. Try and see what coverage he would get without medicare as a base.

Spidey's on a role though. He is conservative except when it comes to his wife making big bucks from public coffers as a school administrator and when his dad needs medicare. Spidey's politics: public spending is not okay unless its going to my family in which case it's totally cool.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

So you answer to limited healthcare is no healthcare. So thats how we fix it. Oh wait... :hmm:

How is that my answer? You're putting words in my mouth. I'm all for healthcare. But I'm not going to deny that Medicare coverage is insufficient. It's a bare bones package that's good for... almost nothing really practical.

I believe that we're forced into throwing our money into something ridiculous that was designed as a safety net for idiots who can't save properly. Well I have no problem with saving my money and investing it in the right health coverage plans.

It's just like social security. I mean honestly, if I put the same money into private investments, I bet most of us would be growing money at a faster pace. Most white collared workers today are depending on their 401ks and IRAs to deliver them their retirement funds, not a pathetic SS payment. The fact is we've already paid. No one's gonna deny their SS payment. We got ripped off, but we want some of it back. McCain collects his SS check too doesn't he? But once again it doesn't mean it doesn't suck balls. I mean let's be honest. Who wants to throw their money away once they've invested it somewhere?

 

[senseamp]

I wonder how much money he paid into medicare? He was pretty successful and remember there is NO CAP on medicare tax like social security. How much money could he have grown all that into today?

Depends what he would have invested it in. Do you want a swing in stock market to decide if you live or die?

 

[waggy]

I wonder how much money he paid into medicare? He was pretty successful and remember there is NO CAP on medicare tax like social security. How much money could he have grown all that into today?

and how much money would he have if he didn't smoke, gamble, or hell pay any tax's? your argument is lame.

i doubt he paid in as much in medicare that he has taken out.

 

[Phokus]

Phokus is right. Try and see what coverage he would get without medicare as a base.

Spidey's on a role though. He is conservative except when it comes to his wife making big bucks from public coffers as a school administrator and when his dad needs medicare. Spidey's politics: public spending is not okay unless its going to my family in which case it's totally cool.

Don't forget that Spidey mostly hires union labor because it's superior to non-union labor. he's confused as all hell.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

i agree. but whats the answer? sure government run health care is NOT the greatest. but then pure private run health care is not the answer either. the cost and limits would be insane and many would not be able to afford it.

i don't t hink a pure system of either way is the answer. a good combanation seems the best bet.

Well pure private health care in terms of giant HMOs and PPOs is not the answer. For profit industry is not. But nor is a giant government bureau that runs the industry.

The best bet is for a doctor and patient to have a 1 on 1 relationship without idiotic things like malpractice lawsuits and defensive medicine coming in the way.

The trend in the industry now is to move to a more doctor-patient relationship. The whole concept of health savings accounts is the point of this. On the other hand you have the government trying to swell up bigger and bigger. It's just counterproductive.

I don't think either side delivers terrific coverage, but for now if you just look at private health insurance, you can tell you get a significantly BETTER quality of service. Granted one of the problems is price control, but for what you get at the moment, you can actually live on. All the government run crap? Forget about the same quality of service or benefits.

Depends what he would have invested it in. Do you want a swing in stock market to decide if you live or die?

Then force that money into government bonds or something. The point of social security and medicare and going into a general pool is retarded. It's time to switch this system to a 401k/IRA based system. If you want it to be a true safety net, you can limit investments to very basic risk-free ones. But it's time to individualize my money and not make this a general pool crap.

 

[senseamp]

So you are for the lockbox? Did you vote for Al Gore? Insurance is a pool. That's how it works.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

So you are for the lockbox? Did you vote for Al Gore?

The lockbox makes it a general pool still. I agree with the lockbox concept but I also agreed with privatization, so no I did not vote for Gore.

But honestly a PAYGO system is just setup for fail. You know it. It's just not the best way. If you want a safety net, you build your own damn safety net. Put restrictions on how I build it, and make sure it meets code/standards, but it's MY safety net. AFter all isn't that the idea of SS and Medicare?

 

[waggy]

Well pure private health care in terms of giant HMOs and PPOs is not the answer. For profit industry is not. But nor is a giant government bureau that runs the industry.

The best bet is for a doctor and patient to have a 1 on 1 relationship without idiotic things like malpractice lawsuits and defensive medicine coming in the way.

The trend in the industry now is to move to a more doctor-patient relationship. The whole concept of health savings accounts is the point of this. On the other hand you have the government trying to swell up bigger and bigger. It's just counterproductive.

I don't think either side delivers terrific coverage, but for now if you just look at private health insurance, you can tell you get a significantly BETTER quality of service. Granted one of the problems is price control, but for what you get at the moment, you can actually live on. All the government run crap? Forget about the same quality of service or benefits.



Then force that money into government bonds or something. The point of social security and medicare and going into a general pool is retarded. It's time to switch this system to a 401k/IRA based system. If you want it to be a true safety net, you can limit investments to very basic risk-free ones. But it's time to individualize my money and not make this a general pool crap.

i agree with most of that. i will say my dad is 66 on medicare with a supplemental (roughly $200). between the two he gets ANYTHING he needs done and the care has been great.

 

[werepossum]

Well pure private health care in terms of giant HMOs and PPOs is not the answer. For profit industry is not. But nor is a giant government bureau that runs the industry.

The best bet is for a doctor and patient to have a 1 on 1 relationship without idiotic things like malpractice lawsuits and defensive medicine coming in the way.

The trend in the industry now is to move to a more doctor-patient relationship. The whole concept of health savings accounts is the point of this. On the other hand you have the government trying to swell up bigger and bigger. It's just counterproductive.

I don't think either side delivers terrific coverage, but for now if you just look at private health insurance, you can tell you get a significantly BETTER quality of service. Granted one of the problems is price control, but for what you get at the moment, you can actually live on. All the government run crap? Forget about the same quality of service or benefits.



Then force that money into government bonds or something. The point of social security and medicare and going into a general pool is retarded. It's time to switch this system to a 401k/IRA based system. If you want it to be a true safety net, you can limit investments to very basic risk-free ones. But it's time to individualize my money and not make this a general pool crap.

We have HSAs and I love them both from an employer's and an employee's standpoint. Unfortunately it looks like ObamaCare is going to kill ours, no way can we afford all the things our catastrophic insurance will have to cover. We don't know for sure yet, but it looks like we'll have to drop health insurance as a benefit.

 

[her209]

Don't know what spidey is smoking, but Medicare does cover pacemakers.
http://www.cms.gov/mcd/viewncd.asp?...=2&basket=ncd%3A20.8:2:Cardiac+Pacemakers

 

[Moonbeam]

spidey, have you considered the possibility that you commit suicide in your threads because you have a need to feel bad about yourself because of self hate? There isn't anything really wrong with you so you don't need to do this. Relax and be happy. Self destruction is based on false needs.

 

[LTC8K6]

Whatever the healthcare answer may be, it isn't what was recently passed.

http://www.house.gov/brady/pdf/Obamacare_Chart.pdf