Should the dead pay back their medicare bills?

[BoberFett]

I think you will find boberfett's views to be very eh, unique.

Yes, in this country, being correct is pretty unique.

 

[Zebo]

My grandmother died recently leaving behind an electric scooter. My dad tried to sell it, but couldn't find a buyer no matter how low he priced it? Why? Because Medicare picks up the tab on those things. The original price? Around $5,000. How much does it cost to build one those things? $500-1,000? It's an electric motor, a battery, a bit of wiring, a plastic housing and a seat. It just can't cost that much to build. But the government will gladly fork over a massive amount of money for each one. Does anyone really think government run health care would change anything? The system is a money grab from top to bottom and broken beyond repair.

This country will have to fail economically before anything changes.

No, they already proved that with medicare part d. No negotiation whatever asking price is .gov pay. vs 48% luckily military got negotiated on drugs/devices since the 1960s. We're as corrupt as any Latin American country at this point no going back till bust.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Here is an idea for Medicare reform which ought to be controversial:

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/05/why-not-let-dead-pay-medicare

In a nutshell, the idea is as follows:

During the time you use Medicare, you receive bills for all services paid for. You do not have to pay them. When you die, Medicare gets reimbursed out of your estate. However, Medicare can only collect up to 100% of your estate, so people who leave nothing behind would not be paying Medicare back.

The author leaves on the table the idea that all Medicare taxes paid during your lifetime would be deducted from the final bill, so you aren't paying into a system then giving back all the benefits you got at the end.

Some problems I can see with this are that people may try to evade it through making inter vivos gifts to their heirs, or in some cases they may just decide to spend their money during their lifetime rather than leave it to the government. There may be some ways to craft the legislation to close some of these options but probably not all of them. Another problem is, suppose the decedent's assets are all tied up in a business, the business might have to be liquidated rather than passed in full to the deceden'ts heirs, thus putting people out of work. This problem could probably be worked around in the legislation.

Thoughts?

- wolf

Problem being people like my wife and self . We own everthing we have and have signed everthing over to our kidds . They pay us so much a month between them in the form of check . We cash and give them back their money . I won't have an anthing for uncle sam to recover its money . I have sold to my children all we own . I have converted all stocks to gold other than 2 holdings which I am getting ready to sell . I have the Gold not paper and there is No paper trail that will help the gobberment . Screw uncle sam .

 

[Zebo]

Screw uncle sam .

I dunno... I know how to work with fiberglass, anyone know electronics? Electric motors, baldor makes some good ones I know that... If you're in on the racket more like Uncle Sugar.

 

[lord_emperor]

That sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard.

Essentially that would take the estate of any family that was not already very wealthy to begin with, as if middle class home ownership is not in a bad enough position already.

Not to mention the inherent insult of paying the system after it fails you.

 

[Fern]

I'd still like someone to explain what all these medical bills are that these people covered by Medicare supposedly owe.

Medicare is HI, it's supposed to pay the dang medical bills.

Fern

 

[Zebo]

Payments in your whole life - what you took out in bennies = balance.

It's a funny insurance now called a loan. And the govt doesnt have it pay it back only you.

 

[waggy]

lol this won't pass or happen. scary that it was even suggested.

 

[Nemesis 1]

That sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard.

Essentially that would take the estate of any family that was not already very wealthy to begin with, as if middle class home ownership is not in a bad enough position already.

Not to mention the inherent insult of paying the system after it fails you.

Many old people have to go into rest homes If there monthly income isn't enouch they take the homes . It happens daily alot.

 

[woolfe9999]

I'd still like someone to explain what all these medical bills are that these people covered by Medicare supposedly owe.

Medicare is HI, it's supposed to pay the dang medical bills.

Fern

You're arguing semantics at best. Medicare is whatever we make it. Ryan wanted to make it into a voucher to buy private health insurance. I don't think this changes Medicare as radically as that.

BTW, this system, or something similar, is already in place for Medical here in CA.

- wolf