Tag Archives: care

Your Questions About Long Term Care Insurance Cost

Donald asks…


Does health care reform influence the insurance market?

And more specifically, how does it affect premiums and how health care is distributed, and the way people purchase it?

I’ve been reading into how the free rider aspect can negatively influence the cost of health insurance and what that cost means to taxpayers. But does the health reform bill change how people choose to purchase insurance, such as what type? Will people purchase more short-term insurance for instance, over long-term insurance simply to fulfill the mandates?


And how does this change competition between providers? Are providers harmed?

Websites with information would be helpful. Thank you.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Absolutely it does. Just look at the current result of the health reform act – you can no longer buy a child only health insurance policy, and maternity benefit options are rapidly drying up for individual policies. They’ll be gone before 2014, due to the “preexisting condition” exclusion not being allowed.

Prices are skyrocketing. Already, the cap has been lifted on lifetime coverage limits for children, and preexisting conditions can no longer be excluded for them. Estimates for coverage price increases come January 1st, are 25% to 40% across the board. This is to cover the extra costs, associated with elimintating caps on very sick children, and mandating coverage for preexisting conditions for them.

The result will naturally be, fewer people will be able to afford to buy health insurance coverage. Yep, we’ll have FEWER insured people. Also, the people good at math, will realize it’s cheaper to pay $700 fine, once a year, and only buy coverage when they have to file a big claim, than it will be to pay $500 every month, and ALWAYS have insurance in place. That “adverse selection” issue will have to result in the insurance companies coming up with a method to incentivize healthy people to buy health insurance, to offset the unhealthy people.

I think people aren’t going to bother to comply wtih the mandates. It’s cheaper not to. Just like welfare payments pay more, to women with children who are not married, giving them incentives to have children outside of marriage – this system encourages people financially to NOT buy insurance.

Ruth asks…

Do we need a public option for catastrophic or for long-term high-cost treatment?

For costs that the normal working family cannot afford?

I’ll pay for the asprin out-of-pocket with no insurance middle-man.

Let govt health-care pay for the chemo or the transplant — the really big-ticket items.

Let govt health-care pay for expensive meds for long-term illnesses

That way the govt will not be nickel and dimed on small items

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

That’s not a bad solution. We could actually just have a government subsidy on catastrophic care insurance. It wouldn’t cost that much to pay premiums an stuff you hardly ever use. If you check out H.R. 3400, the republican health care bill, that’s pretty much how it works. Each individual gets a $2000 tax credit to pay insurance premiums. You can spend more if you want, but that would be enough for catastrophic coverage. Then you pick your insurance company and the government forwards your payment to them. For all the day to day stuff, its cheaper to just pay for it yourself. The only thing to worry about is companies dropping your coverage, but consumer protection is included in the bill.

Jenny asks…

How many of those who are supporting Obama’s health care bill ?

How many of those who are supporting Obama’s health care bill requiring everyone to purchase health care insurance in order to cover their health care costs are willing to purchase or have purchased long term care insurance in order to cover their long term health care costs which are not paid for by any health insurance ?

How many of those supporting Obama’s health care bill requiring everyone to purchase health care insurance would also support a bill requiring everyone to purchase long term care insurance ?
Blue – You are completely wrong. Health Insurance does NOT pay for ANY long term care beyond 90 days.
Long term care costs are already dwarfing health care costs .
In NY people are in Nursing Homes where long term care costs over $ 12,000 per months every month 12 months a year.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

I don’t support any of it, although I am a HUGE advocate of LTC insurance.
Perhaps those who will benefit from the benefits that Medicaid provides for nursing homes who DO NOT own a home should have to pay more toward that end, but homeowners (who must sell out in order to receive Medicaid LTC benefits) shouldn’t have to pay extra. They have paid with their livelihood, in the form of a house.

Steven asks…

Why does Senator McCain “stand up for seniors” when there are Medicare cuts for private insurance companies?

which doesn’t add much but a gym benefit, but does not want seniors to be able to buy into long term care through the government? The fact that nursing homes and assisted living facilities cost from $2,000-$5,000 a month and up. Why is it that McCain sides with long term care insurance companies in this instance? If he so protective of seniors? This would be great and it would not take their whole life savings just to be put on welfare in the end. McCain is all for the insurance companies. Why are people so naive?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

If he were president, he would have cut about a trillion from medicare.

That’s what he said during the campaign.

Charles asks…

Having a problem finding the unique angle in this article. Plz Help!?

Newsweek Homepage
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Close Search Cost of Long-Term Care Rises

■6 Alternative Investments
■Your Credit Card is Making You Fat
■Do You Need This Insurance?
■15 Highest-Paid Charity CEOs
■8 Tales of Corporate Comebacks
The costs of nursing homes and other assisted-living facilities continue to rise significantly, according to the Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs conducted by insurance provider MetLife.

Private-room nursing-home rates rose 4.6% in 2010, increasing to an average of $229 per day or $83,585 per year, while assisted living rose 5.2% on average to $3,293 per month, or $39,516 per year. These come on the back of a 3.3% increase in price for both nursing home and assisted-living facilities from 2008 to 2009.

“The cost of care in nursing homes and assisted living has been and continues to be high, and in the past year, the increases have even outpaced medical-care inflation of about 3 percent,” Sandra Timmermann, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, said in a press release. “As the population ages, there are more and more people among us who will need long-term care.”

One piece of good news is that costs for home health aides and adult day services were unchanged in the past year. Home health aide costs remain at an average price of $21 per hour, while adult day services costs are still $67 per day.

The need for a cost-effective alternative to full-time care has helped the adult day services industry grow during the past few years, too. According to the survey, there are more than 4,600 adult day service centers nationwide, a 35 percent increase since 2002. During that same period, those served by these centers have increased by more than 100,000.

By comparison, nearly 1 million people live in approximately 39,500 full-time assisted-living residences in the U.S., according to current estimates from the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The average age of an assisted- living resident is 86.9 years old, and the median length of stay in assisted living is 29.3 months.

“While families continue to provide the lion’s share of care, paid care is commonly part of the equation and the costs can derail even the best financial plan,” Timmermann said. “There is very good reason for individuals and families to look into savings plans, annuities, and long-term care insurance to hedge the possibilities.”

MetLife’s Mature Market Institute has conducted surveys since 2002 with annual updates. This year’s survey was conducted by telephone between May and August 2010, by LifePlans, Inc., for the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Costs were calculated for each service provider in an area and aggregated across all providers to compute statewide averages.

The survey found that Alaska was the state with the highest average daily rates for nursing homes, where prices per day were $687 for a private room and $610 for a semi-private room. Costs were lowest in Louisiana with an average of $138 per day for a private room.

The Washington, D.C., area had the highest average monthly base rate for assisted-living facilities with prices per month of $5,231. Arkansas had the lowest average monthly rate of $2,073. You can find a full breakdown of costs by state in the report.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Not sure if there is really a unique angle… This has been done before.

One thing to note is that the survey is paid for by an insurance company, and right in the article the person from that company uses it to make a plug for the type of product they sell. So it’s not quite unbiased.

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Your Questions About Medicare Health Insurance Part B

Susan asks…

With all of the bluster and BS coming out of Washington these days about health care and it’s costs?

How can anyone support reform without the required details?

First the costs were set at a $1trillion “down payment” (is that just 10% of the true costs, a normal sized down payment).
Then the CBO states the costs to be $1.6 Trillion and only cover 1/3 of the uninsured (what about the other 2/3′s ?).
They have now proposed raising the Medicare tax(every wage earner pays this), slapping a 10-cents-per-can increase on sweetened drinks(almost every American drinks sweetened drinks), raising the alcohol tax, imposing a new payroll tax on employers equal to 3 percent of their health care expenditures and taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits above certain levels(taxing employers for your benefits is a tax on you). Also under consideration was a value added tax, a sort of national sales tax, of up to 1.5 percent or more, with housing, education, financial services and medical care potentially exempt(everyone makes purchases from clothing and shoes to utilities and detergents).

But with all these numbers and tax increase proposals flying around, does anyone really know what kind of “medical coverage” this entails?

Is it the “blue chip” program the members of Congress enjoy?
Doubtful.
Or is it more like Medicare?
Does anyone realize that Medicare premiums for those who have less than 7.5 years of qualifying work and are over 65 would be nearly $600 a month?(for parts A,B,D coverage) For 50 million uninsured, that alone would be $30 Billion a month or $360 Billion a year in costs and doesn’t even touch on what would be paid out in services or the 20% of costs not covered.

So what do you think of when “health care coverage for all” is bandied about in Washington?
What are your expectations?

http://www.mymedicarematters.org/AboutMedicare/costs.asp

http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11082.pdf

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_overhaul

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

I don’t want to seem heartless, but frankly, I think that people should be responsible for themselves…and that includes health care options. I do not believe that it is the responsibility of others to care for me or protect me from myself.

Libertarian leaning conservative.

Betty asks…

The insurance do not want to pay 80% of the bill and I pay 20%.?

I am under 65 and recieve medicare due to a disability under my husband social security. (husband is decease) Medicar part A I have but did not choose to enroll in part B, because I was enroll in health coverage with the pension fund that the premiun was $161.00. The coverage plan BC.BS Hosp/Phys and OMM with Drug . I hand surgery . The insurance is saying beause I did not have part B of medicare, I would have to pay 80% and that pay 20% of the bills. How can I go about geting the bills pad from the insurance.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

You can’t. Once on Medicare it becomes the primary and your other plan the secondary. You should get part B

Daniel asks…

A question about health care in USA for elderly….?

If a person age 67 who has only income coming in of $1100 net per month has to go to the doctor for a check up, or if they are feeling under the weather, etc.. would medicare part B require them to pay an annual deductible of close to $1000 first before they qualify to only have to pay a 20% coinsurance on the rest of their medical costs…such doctors visits, Xrays, lab test etc….??
and what happens if this elderly person is so strapped for cash that they can’t really afford to pay this deductible and co insurance?

what happens then?

how would the situation be different in a different country like Great Britain?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

In the US, while medical bills can grow quite quickly, the elderly would be seen and treated immediately for their problem, and then be billed for the rest. Medical collections are severely restricted, unlike any other category of collections. As long as you agree to pay something each month, and meet that obligation, the amount paid each month can be tiny and you are still compliant. So, ultimately, they would be treated, and have staggering bills they would have the option to pay over a long period of time as long as they complied with their agreement to do so.

In Great Britain, the bills would be small to none on the face, although they would have been paying National Insurance Contributions, so it is not quite as free as it seems. They would, however, have longer wait periods to see their doctor, and a shorter time on average with that doctor than their American counterparts. Ultimately, they would have smaller bills up front, but would make up a fair amount of the difference in “contribution” and would have to wait much longer for the service. Anyone who points out that the “government” pays for health care, as so many defenders of socialism will claim, conveniently forgets where the government gets its money.

Joseph asks…

How can I convince my husband to let me get insurance?

I have Bipolar. I just got disability in April so I have to wait until April 2011 before I get medicare. I will have to pay $110.00 just for part B and A. Then part D for prescriptions, I am figuring out because that will be my prescription drug coverage and apparently you have to pay $40.00 to $100.00 for that depending who I go with.

My husbands insurance will not cover me because of preexisting condition and I have to wait a year. He changed jobs after being unemployed for 2 years since he lost his job from GM. He did not get Cobra because we really could not afford it. In the meantime he got appendicitis and we had to file bankruptcy.

I found two great deals through Humana and United Health Care. I want covered if I have a medical emergency. Because we can not file bankruptcy again and we are actually getting our credit score back up! I have enough for my psychiatrist and medication which is important. He has me on a sliding scale (I have paid him enough over 10 years) which I am grateful. I can afford my prescriptions because of Walgreens plan for uninsured individuals. It is great!

I wish he would let me get insurance. He did give me the OK to get vision and dental. But I need medical insurance. Then I hear people talk and see commercials on TV that you need supplementary insurance for medicare because apparently medicare does not cover a lot but I would still feel at ease just have that alone.

How can I convince him to allow me to get medical insurance? I am at a lost. We can afford it with the quotes I got!

Thanks!

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

There’s no decision or discussion here. His insurance will cover you for anything that is not preexisting, and any other coverage you get will have a similar exclusionary period for the preexisting condition. If you believe that Humana or UHC will cover your preexisting condition immediately, you either misunderstood or were lied to; probably the former.

Chris asks…

“Universal Health Care”–a humongous lie?

People are desperate to believe that a government-run health care system will be a good thing. No matter what you assume, or are led to believe,to be true, the facts prove that the government does not run the health care programs is has now. Both Medicare and Medicaid are actually run by the same private insurance carriers who routinely deny claims for both everyone.

Here is the official list of “Intermediaries”:

SECTION II
PART A INTERMEDIARIES AND PART B CARRIERS ………………………………………………………………. 15
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION…………………………………………………………………………..15
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ALABAMA…………………………………………………………………………..15
ARKANSAS BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD……………………………………………………………………………….18
FIRST COAST SERVICE OPTIONS, INC. ………………………………………………………………………………………….20
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF GEORGIA, INC. ……………………………………………………………………21
ANTHEM INSURANCE COMPANIES INC ……………………………………………………………………………………….22
ADMINASTAR FEDERAL INC…………………………………………………………………………………………………………23
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF KANSAS, INC. ……………………………………………………………………..23
ANTHEM HEALTHPLANS OF MAINE INC………………………………………………………………………………………24
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MISSISSIPPI …………………………………………………………………………25
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NEBRASKA………………………………………………………………………….26
ANTHEM HEALTH PLANS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, INC…………………………………………………………………..26
EMPIRE HEALTHCHOICE ASSURANCE, INC. ………………………………………………………………………………..27
HEALTHNOW NEW YORK INC.. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….28
NORIDIAN MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY……………………………………………………………………………….29
GROUP HEALTH SERVICE OF OKLAHOMA, INC. ………………………………………………………………………….30
HIGHMARK INC. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31
TRIPLE-S, INC. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….32
PALMETTO GBA, LLC……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF TENNESSEE…………………………………………………………………………35
TRAILBLAZER HEALTH ENTERPRISES, LLC…………………………………………………………………………………35
UNITED GOVERNMENT SERVICES, LLC ……………………………………………………………………………………….37
INTERMEDIARY AND CARRIER DIRECTORY

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ContractingGeneralInformation/Downloads/02_ICdirectory.pdf

The British system is, as one would expect, reflective of British thinking: there is a class system in Britain and this could not be more evident than in the way they finance health care. They do it through a payroll deduction scheme. This means, of course, that only the workers pay for the entire cost of the health care system while the wealthy, who usually do not earn wages, and whose investment income is not subject to payroll deduction, escape.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

The idea makes me a little nervous. I have a friend in Canada who recently discovered a breast lump – and the wait was FIVE MONTHS for her to even be seen for tests! That’s crazy.

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Your Questions About Medicare Part A

William asks…

My grandma has medicare part a and b would she be covered for home health care nursing?

3 to 4 times per week. Assistance with getting out of bed and diabeties management. She is bed bound mostly.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Before Medicare made their nation wide cost saving cuts back in the 1990′s, it was common for the elderly to be covered for those services sometimes indefinitely. Now it is much different. If someone on medicare comes out of the hospital they would be covered but not indefinitely. If the Dr. Recommends skilled nursing for diabetes management that may be a real possibility. Check with her Doctor. Personal care, bathing, assistance getting out of bed and meals, and laundry, falls under private duty care and is paid for by the individual through the home health agency. Some states offer help under their programs of medicaid and state assistance programs. Check with your state programs to see if your grandmother qualifies under income guidelines.

Mark asks…

How can a company pay an individual’s Medicare Part B premium?

Hi. I have a very specific and obscure question. I am interested in how a company, a health plan for instance, could go about paying an individual’s Medicare Part B premium. Does anyone know where the rules governing this are housed?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

This is a good question! A local organization was considering implementing a policy whereby it would pay the insurance premiums for Medicare-eligible employees about a year ago and did some checking through attorneys. The rules discovered were that a private employer that offers a health care plan to employees must offer the same plan to all employees– even those eligible for Medicare. There was no way found for the employer to pay the Medicare premiums for the employees eligible to enroll in Medicare.

I understood that the reason this could not be done was due to a state rule–but actually, the barrier is probably a federal rule. Allowing this practice would increase costs to Medicare and probably reduce the costs of employer health insurance plans. Congress probably is concerned enough about soaring Medicare costs. Of course, there is probably a plethora of other political reasons…

Some feel this rule engenders employers’ discrimination against older workers. The fact is, more health problems develop the older we get and the American workforce is aging quickly. Paying for health insurance is a big problem for most employers–and especially small business. Many choose not to provide a health insurance plan at all due to these plans’ costs–which is a major reason why there are so many uninsured Americans today.

Suggestion: check with someone in your State’s Insurance Commissioner’s office. There is someone there who might be very familiar with this question–or would know someone else who would have the information you seek. Or check with an attorney familiar with health insurance and employment law in your state.

Good luck and best wishes!

Ken asks…

Question on Medicare Part B premiums for low income?

My mother just passed away and in her papers I found that she has been paying medicare Part B premiums for years. I think it was something like $92.40. I can’t remember the exact amount.

My question though, is that her monthly income was only $700 a month. Should she have been paying these premiums? She had no dependents in the home with her. Seems like she should have been exempt since she is considered low income.

If she should not have paid these monthly premiums, can her estate been reimbursed for all the years she paid?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

If you want Medicare part B coverage – which covers gaps in Medicare part A – you have to pay for it. The premium is $93.50 per month if your income is under $80,000 a year.

The major benefit under Part B is payment for physicians’ services. In addition, home health care, durable medical equipment, outpatient physical therapy, x-ray and diagnostic tests are also covered.

Donna asks…

I am looking for a Medicare part D plan that offers dental and vision. Can anyone help me?

I have Medicare A and B, but am looking for additional coverage for my prescriptions, and ideally one with Dental and Vision….More so the dental, but vision would be great, too…..

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Dental and Vision aren’t covered – unless you have a medical eye condition. Regular vision issues, exams, glasses, contacts, etc, aren’t covered at all.

Maria asks…

how do I know if I should have medicare part D?

I currently am enrolled in parts A & B, but not D. I am currently spending approx $50.00 mo. for prescriptions, would I benefit from haveing part D? I’m not even sure how part D works, does it pay all of the prescriptions, or a portion and then I pay the rest? I don’t know how much part D costs either. I tried to log onto medicare.gov, but could not figure out how to navigate through all the stuff to get the answers I need. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

It depends on if you are on a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO, PPO etc). If you are on plan or program they will cover your medications. If you are on original Medicare (you only use the white card with the red white and blue stripes at the top) then you have no prescription coverage and should look to enroll in one. You only have until friday to enroll otherwise you will have to wait until next year’s open enrollment.

Each part D plan is a different cost. Some cost as low as $14 per month – some cost over $100 per month. If you are having trouble finding a list of plans you can always ask your pharmacy if they know of good plans or just call 1 800 Medicare for help.

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Your Questions About Medicare Supplement Insurance

Laura asks…

I am on SSDI and dont have insurance Help!!?

I have recently been approved for SSDI and I went to the Senior and disabled services they told me to apply for Oregon health plan. I did that and OHP told me I make too much money for that program $999.00 . I am married and my wife is disabled too she is on SSI she gets OHP because she is on SSI so do our two children. What is Medicaid? Is that a type of health insurance or just a supplement? I wont qualify for Medicare for two years as it looks now. What do I do? The people I have talked to at Social security and Oregon and Senior disabled services keep giving me the runaround. The lady at Senior and disabled services did not even know what Medicaid was.
Will I have to get Private insurance? I cant afford that.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Healthquotes.awardspace.info – here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.

Helen asks…

Why doesn’t medicare cover my GYN office visit?

I called my gyn to make an apt for my annual PAP test and the girl at the other end asked me what my insurance was. I told her I had Medicare and an AARP supplement. Then she informed me that medicare does not cover the office visit only the PAP test. The office visit is $175. I then asked her how can I have a PAP test without an office visit? She replied, “I know, a lot of people are angry about that, but that’s Medicare‘s rules”. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous? I bet that’s going to discourage women from getting checked.
The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded, so I called Medicare. The gentleman at the other end said: “I never heard of such a thing; perhaps they are billing us with the wrong code. Tell them to bill us with the 25 modifier. That will cover the pap smear, the pelvic exam and the office visit”. I thanked him and called the GYN office back. The girl argued that billing that way was illegal because Medicare doesn’t cover a wellness visit, etc. She even called the billing dept. that gave her this BS information and told me that they would not change their billing because it would be “illegal”. How can a Medicare worker give me an illegal code? To make a long story short, I cancelled my apt and made one with another gyn that does not charge extra for an office visit. Beware!

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Well, I just had my yearly checkup with my ob/gyn, PAP test and all — my office visit was completely covered by Medicare — maybe you should check with Medicare — I think your doctor’s office is trying to get a double pay — no offense, but Medicare totally covers this exam!

Lizzie asks…

Another question about Social Security!?

Thanks for all the great answers. Now I am a lot less confused.
How about this? I am now age 56. I love my job, and my family has long-life. My father lived to 94. I know that I cannot predict the future, but I would like to work until age 70, or older. Collect social security at age 70. Keep my employer insurance and supplement with medicare at age 65. I know almost everyone else I talk to is planning to retire as soon as they qualify for social security, no matter how much money they loose. Great for them. But I like my idea. What do you think?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

I think you are a very fortunate man. Most people are not that wild about their job, and the stress they experience at work robs them of some of their life span. They say stress kills, and it’s true. It eats away at your health and robs you of many of your retirement years by reducing your life span. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the avoidance of stress.

Seeing that you love your job, your life span will most likely be longer than most because you won’t suffer from the ill effects of job stress. When I was 56, I thought I would work until I’m 70 too. But that wasn’t because I loved my job. It was because I was worried that I might not have enough money to pay for my food and shelter during my entire retirement years if I dared retire sooner than age 70. To make that story short, I ended up retiring at age 62 (not 70). I was able to do that because I was a planner–just like you. I was forever calculating what it would most likely cost me to live in retirement, how much I had managed to acquire, and how much more I needed. As soon as I saw that my financial situation would most likely work out for me, I started to look for an opportunity to exit from my work life into my retirement life.

My lifestyle choice (a modest one) allows me to feel very comfortable at $30K per year. From that I net $26K, spend $21K, and have $5K left over. This money comes from my employer’s pension plan for me, and interest I earn from my savings. In two more years, at age 70, I’ll start receiving another $30K in income per year because social security will kick in. Then I’ll be receiving a little more than twice the money I need to live on. So, as you can see, even though I’m far from rich, I’ll most likely die with money in the bank. But that’s possible because of my life style choice. People who have more expensive tastes and possibly want to live a flamboyant life style would need much more money than I do.

My advice to you is to continue to look at your financial situation to understand when it will allow you to actually retire. Once you figure that out AND achieve that goal, you’ll feel very light. It will be as though a weight has been removed from your shoulders. You’ll be at a point where you no longer have to work if you don’t want to. Well, I keep forgetting that you love your job, so for you it might not be a weight off your shoulders as much as it was for me. But it’s still refreshing to know that you really don’t have to work anymore if you should decide you don’t want to.

In closing, let me add that your choices about how long you work for a living, and how long you wait to receive social security benefits is a big gamble. You could very easily be in the middle of your big plan, and drop dead while still in the process. As you said, no one knows the future, but your’s looks very promissing both in life span possibility and in income possibility. So, create a flexible plan for yourself and go for it. I say flexible because you might run into situation that make it wise for you to tweak your plan a little. If so, then so be it. Do the needed tweaking.

Reading your question made me smile. It’s nice to see someone who is interested in planning his future to help ensure his retirement years will be pleasant ones.

Best of luck to you.

Susan asks…

I am a senior; now that the health care bill has been signed, what should I do?

I have no insurance other than Medicare. Right now, I’m being bombarded with ads for Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans. Won’t the new health care bill alter most of what these plans can offer? Should I choose one (even though it’ll probably be obsolete very shortly), or just sit tight with what I have for another year?
Thanks, guys for most of the responses so far. I especially appreciate those from “Meilin”, “handyman”, and “mrwizard.”
Thanks, “truth!” (sorry—I can’t seem to manage the inverted exclamation point on this keyboard).

“Cory”, thanks you for taking the time to respond; from perusing answers to others’ questions, I get the impression you’re quite young. As you grow older (and, presumably, more mature) you’ll find that there are issues that don’t call for flippant, “funny” quips as responses.
I’ve scanned over many of your responses, and I wish you’d do the same…you might start seeing a pattern that just might throw a little light on your very dark view of those who disagree with you. Incidentally, I appreciated your response to “Daisy’s” question—and not just because I agree with it. Take care, my friend!

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

It was only signed today and they have not made the fixes yet, so wait until the dust settles before you decide anything. I don’t know why people are so unnerved by the bill. If you want a Medicare supplement to pick up the 20-30 percent Medicare doesnt pay you can buy that any time. You should wait to see if there are any changes good or bad before you do that. You have been getting by without Medi-gap apparently. We dont know the minutia of the effects the new bill has on Medicare yet because the changes cover a 10-year period. Two things that happen this year will be an effort to bridge the gap in payments for catastrophic prescription needs and a $250 rebate in lieu of the usual COLA.

Robert asks…

medicare for non seniors on ssdi?

from what i have found, most of the supplement plans are only for seniors…1 starts at age 55

Is the Medicare itself that same for people on SSDI as it is for peopleon SS retirement

I will not have any other insurance.
how is part D redundant for people on ssdi…

how else can i get rx coverage
i want A,B

not C…..

there are only 3-4 doctors that will work with people with my condition..
1 doesn’t take insurance at all..the others aren’t in ANY of the HMO networks–including the 1 PCP that won’t blow me off….i need to be able to have a willing PCP

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Yes it is the same. My brother had a stroke at age 40 and started receiving medicare benefits at age 42. His coverage is the same as that of my 85 year old mother, other than she has chosen traditional medicare and he carries one of the medicare advantage plans. Unfortunately you are going to find that many doctors only accept a certain number of medicare patients because medicare (like medicaid) pays less than the insurance companies do.
If you do not want medicare part c (which is the medicare advantage) then you will have to enroll in the original medicare plan.

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Your Questions About Medicare Advantage Cuts

Thomas asks…

Why Do Dems Want to Take Money Away From NAACP’s Poor Blacks who Have Medicare?

The national director of the NAACP recently scolded Dems for trying to cut back money that goes to Medicare Advantage.

40% of blacks on medicare use Medicare Advantage.

He was LIVID at Dems!!
Nancy,

How stupid do you have to be to lecture me instead of lecturing/calling the national director of the NAACP. He is the one who scolded Dems for trying to cut NEEDY blacks from Medicare Advantage. Duhhhh
Quit being hateful, Nancy.

Read on —>

In a March 14 letter to House members, Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington, D.C., Bureau, wrote that MA plans “disproportionately provide coverage to low-income and racial and ethnic minority beneficiaries.” He added, “By providing more comprehensive benefits and lower cost-sharing than traditional Medicare,” MA plans help minorities “gain access to health care services that are critical to their long-term health and well-being”
A letter written by the NAACP stated that 40% of blacks on medicare use MA —->

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/washington/medicare_monitor/entries/2007/03/15/naacp_backs_medicare_advantage.html

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Dems hate when Bush does a lot to help blacks.

Paul asks…

Why Are Dems Trying to Hurt Millions of Poor Elderly People?

This is sort of ironic…

AARP and the NAACP are teaming up with Republicans to fight against Democrats’ desires to cut funding for Medicare Advantage programs.

The Dems say that the Medicare Advantage programs cost too much. Oddly, that money is helping the poor elderly and a lot of poor blacks.

There are over 200,000 elderly people in each of the following BLUE states that will be hurt if Dems cut Medicare Advantage — Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey.

It’s funny to see the Dems try to convince the elderly and blacks to give up the help they are getting with medical bills.

Do you think Pelosi and Hillary and Kerry will tell the NAACP and AARP to get lost? I don’t.
It’s funny to see Libs on here argue against me when the NAACP and AARP are fighting against the Dems on this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t moan about me. Call up the NAACP and AARP.
Listen as the Director of the NAACP Scolds Dems for cutting funding to Medicare Advantage —>

“On behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), our nation’s oldest, largest, and most widely recognized grassroots civil rights organization, I would like to express our deep concern about efforts to reduce funding for the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.”

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/washington/medicare_monitor/entries/2007/03/15/naacp_backs_medicare_advantage.html

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

From the WSJ?

The reason Democrats are fighting it is because it helps cover health care costs by privatizing some of the coverage.

Their stance on this issue makes it pretty clear that the Democrat’s don’t want any solutions to health care except for government run health care, even if private solutions work (as seen by their opposition to Medicare Advantage).

Edit: To nostradamus02012 and Jim W. Nice spin boys. Yes insurance companies will profit, but why is that a bad thing? You are ignoring the fact that seniors are OPTING INTO this program, meaning they see a benefit as well. Perhaps it is the added selections and choices that they have…..

John asks…

Why are republicans so upset about health care reform when?

it cost less than Bushes medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage bill ($1.2 trillion)?

it is less than 5% of the total health care cost in the US?

it is far less costly than Bushes tax cuts for the rich?

it is less costly that the Iraq war?

it is in theory paid for?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

They like the windfall profits for insurance companies but they don’t like the public sector parts of the bill. They are against government assistance in what has traditionally been exclusively a private sector industry. But with millions of people suffering and unable to get treatment, there has to be a compromise made. I am sure with a gigantic bill like this over the 10-year-period adjustments can be made to mandates if revenue streams increase.

They don’t really believe the capitalist system is in jeopardy of becoming a socialist model. That is just an aggressive tactic to limit the power of the government so their corporate friends can keep making obscene profits at the expense of ordinary Americans.

Mandy asks…

Do you believe that O’s tax increases will become law but his spending cuts won’t?

Obama says he will save $10 billion by capping payments to weathy farmers and billions more by scrapping other costly/inefficient farm programs. But don’t tell that to Rep. Collin C. Peterson, the Minn. Dem. who chairs the House Agriculture Committee. “We just finished the (latest five-year) farm bill last year, and I don’t think we’ll olpen it up” he informed the Washington Times. If O had really wanted to reform farm subsides, he would have taken a stand when it mattered and voted against that bill in the Senate. Instead, he supported the subsidizers.

For his other proposed cuts to take effect, O will have to make credible threats to veto appropriations bills that increase spending where he has called for decreases. ….. judging by the bloated builk of the stim. bill there is little reason for optimism that Obama-era Dems will fare better than their predecessors. IN FACT, Obama’s spending increases are LARGER THAN THE NEW REVENUE FROM HIS TAX HIKES. His deficit-reduction plan IS TO HOPE THAT THE ECONOMY IMPROVES.

What spending cuts we are likely to see are aren’t necessarily ones that we should cheer. O would fund his health-care plan in part by gutting Medicare Advantage, the program that lets seniors choose privately administered health-care plans that are paid for my Medicare. Eliminating Medicare Advantage has been a liberal priority for years, because it is a roadblock to INSTITUTING A SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM..

Obama promised to go through the budget “line by Line, ‘ looking for spending to cut. But in this task, as in others, he has sought the path of least resistance. The Left’s sacred cows appear to be safe.

In short, O’s budget raises taxes, increased spending and creates programs that are likely to put a drag on our economy, such as cap-and-trade.

The National Review
page 11
March 16, 2009

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Correct, the spending will pass and the cuts will not.

Also, the spending will not “sunset”, that is, the programs will not come to an end, but will instead go on year after year requiring an ever increasing rate of taxation.

Each time that spending programs are used, they are deemed “successful”. The simple fact that someone took the money is taken as proof that the program in question is a good one, and is “needed”.

Mary asks…

Do seniors feel stupid for voting for Obama now?

The government-subsidized benefits that seniors on Advantage plans receive — often at premiums lower than Medicare premiums — are real, and are legitimately in danger in some cases if Democrats succeed in their health care overhaul.

Medicare Advantage subsidies are on the chopping block to pay for the overhaul. Though there are marked differences between House and Senate versions, both bills would lower payments to private Medicare Advantage plans, which on average cost the government 14 percent more than traditional Medicare.

The harshest critics of the Advantage program say patients are exchanging hassle-free coverage for a plan with cheap perks that may ultimately deny them necessary treatment.

“They’re giving special benefits that are valuable,” said Mary Johnson, policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan, 1.2-million-member group. “But what people don’t understand are the trade-offs.”

Though AARP — which lends its name to a Medicare Advantage plan — and other senior advocacy groups support the Advantage cuts, it is likely that at least some seniors will see their premiums rise, benefits cut or plans close.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

If they don’t, then they should. It is awful what he intends for them.. He may as well line them up and shoot them.

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Your Questions About Long Term Care Insurance Premiums

Jenny asks…

Wow is this true about health care?

The Democratic Senators and Congressmen can well choose to ignore polls. Polls go up. Polls go down. They may figure that the public will have moved on by the time they run for re-election, particularly those Senators who are not up in 2010. With four or six years to go in their terms, they can afford a relaxed view of polling data.

But the Democratic Party as a whole cannot afford to ignore a massive defection in the ranks of the elderly, one of its key building blocks. Ever since the New Deal coalition was cobbled together by FDR, the elderly have been a major component. Worried about Republican designs on their Social Security, they vote overwhelmingly Democratic.

But the Obama proposals, which many see correctly as a major cut in Medicare, might be seminal in driving them en masse away from the Democrats.

The Democratic Party is built on six pillars — blacks, Latinos, single women, young people, union members, and the elderly. If legislation threatens one of those pillars, it threatens the stability of the entire partisan structure. And Obama’s health care reform seems to do just that.

With 40% of the savings in medical spending coming from Medicare, the senior citizens of America are coming to see the Obama proposals as an assault on their health care system. Since their needs are fully met by Medicare, they see no need for monkeying with the system and are highly suspicious of any changes. When they watch as their fellow seniors attend town meetings to protest to their Congressmen about these cuts and are labeled “un-American” for their pains, their alienation from the Democrats just grows.

The fissure Obama is driving between his party and the elderly will not soon heal. When the elderly change their voting habits, they tend to do so for a very, very long time. Even Senators who are up in

2012 or 2014 should worry that their votes for the Obama plan could doom their ability to attract elderly support.

As to the young people who back the plan, once they learn that they will have to pay steep premiums for health care coverage, whether they want to or not, their support is likely to cool. Under the bill, for example, those making $30,000 a year would have to pay up to 7% of their income in health insurance premiums before they could get a government subsidy. A $2,100 bill for such a young person might seem affordable to Obama, but perhaps not to them. Thus, the legislation may well come to be seen as a tax on the young, another of the key constituencies of the Democratic Party.

The cost of Obama’s health care changes just keeps growing — financially and politically.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

True? Yes.

Isn’t it interesting that Obama ran on the promise of “change” and that no one in the media asked “change in what and to what” and now he wants to control 14% of our economy? Any opposition to this is branded “Republican right wing” opposition, but, in many cases it is just senior citizens interested in what will happen to them.

How can the people of Massachusetts live with themselves as they keep electing Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy and John Kerry? Well, I guess there is some California in them.

Regards,
Dan

Michael asks…

why cant Americans come to term with nationalized health care?

As a canadian, my entire nation and I are laughing our asses off at america right now. Americans are either 1) stupid 2)make good mind slaves for their media 3) dont give a shit about their health.

here in canada our healthcare system is great. Ya if you go see a specilist you have to wait on a considerable long list.. but comon? do you need to go to a specialist every month? only a slim minority of people need specialists because they are That sick. most people usually never see a specialist until they are in their 40′s.

Also I think america needs to start thinking about its future. nationalized healthcare would do great for the younge population.. 0-29 years old. now some of you are going to say.. “what about grandman”.. OH well… old people are a burden to our society (70 years +) anyway.. time to turn a new leaf.. leave them behind.. and start looking into the future.

Almost every 1st world nation besides america has a nationalized healthcare system. My friends, if you get sick here in canada, you will NEVER go bankrupt, you will NEVER lose you house ect..

the insurance companies are making profits of your health!! how is that Not wrong? Heatlcare is something that no one should be profiting off of period. for a nation to work you need healthy PEOPLE… if everyone was for themselves, you wouldnt have much of a nation.

as for the illegal problem, Canada has a ton of illegal immigrants, not quite like the USA but canada still has many.

its time to stop thinking about $$$ and thinking about your future.

it is true that the govt doesnt need to be grown but in such cases as healtcare, national defense , you must have the government intervene. Because both national defense and healtcare are doomed to fail if they are privitized..

privitized healtchare = massive premiums, dropping of coverage for no reason.

privatizing the military = warlords, end of a nation
i attend college in NY state dumb ass

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Because for the millionth time….IT IS NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE!

AND….this republican party asked just three things…

To publish it for three days before voting…to allow us to read it…
To publish the cost of it……and I foget the other thing. But it wasn’t much.

THEY SAID NO! Why not? Why not allow us to read it? They have shown before THEY NEVER READ IT…and we should be allowed to know the cost and what it is in it.

WHY are they secretative…why are they so stubborn they cant’ share it with those that are going to pay for it. We have a right to see it.

It is right…it is time to stop thinking of money and think of future and people. This will benefit 12 million….and it is putting at risk 87 million. WHAT DEAL IS THAT? When you take 500 BILLION from medicare or medicaid and take half the benefits from it …who is going to suffer? SENIORS HANDICAPPED AND CHILDREN!

ARe you so proud of yourelf that you cant’ work for your health care that you put the most dependent of that in jeporady?

GET REAL…..you are all so selfish and such idiots that you don’t think of that or spending 30,000 bucks for 3 marsh mice and shutting off water to hundreds of farmers and their livestock and costing them MILLIONS…to save a handful of smelt….

WHERE IS YOUR HEADS? WHERE ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?

I am so sick of the minorities getting everything and everyone having to pay. I don’t mean black and illegal….I mean THOSE THAT WANT IT ARE IN THE MINORITY….

MOst of AMERICA DOES NOT WANT THIS…and they have just as much right to have their lives uninterrupted as you think you have the right to have YOUR LIFE PAID FOR YOU!

COWARDS…making old people and children and handicapped pay for your security and deny them the help they deserve and should have!

COWARDS!

Donna asks…

Does the POTUS think that health care reform will happen this year?

The President concluded his remarks by emphasizing that reform will get done this year, because we cannot afford to wait:
Now, I realize that the last few miles of any race are the hardest to run, but I have to say now is not the time to slow down, and now is certainly not the time to lose heart. Make no mistake, if we step back from this challenge at this moment, we are consigning our children to a future of skyrocketing premiums and crushing deficits. There’s no argument about that. If we don’t achieve health care reform, we cannot control the costs of Medicare and Medicaid and we cannot control our long-term debt and our long-term deficits. That’s not in dispute. So we’re going to have to get this done. If we don’t get health care reform done now, then no one’s health insurance is going to be secure because you’re going to continue to see premiums going out-of-pocket costs going up at astronomical rates, and people who lose their jobs are having a pre-existing medical condition or changing their jobs finding themselves in a situation where they cannot get health care. And that’s not a future I accept for the United States of America. And that’s why those who are betting against this happening this year are badly mistaken. We are going to get this done. We will reform health care. It will happen this year.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/The-President-on-Health-Care-We-are-Going-to-Get-this-Done/

==========================================
However, when you look closely at the bill being proposed by the LIBERAL Conyers, it does not go into effect until the year 2012… three years from now. Wow, that is fast legislation. They just pulled another “fast one” on the US taxpayers.ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz.

Here’s the text from the bill …

http://www.johnconyers.com/hr676text

TITLE V—Effective Date

SEC. 501. Effective date.

Except as otherwise specifically provided, this Act shall take effect on the first day of the first year that begins more than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to items and services furnished on or after such date.

=======================
Passes in 2010 – can’t be put in place until at least more than one year passes, so that’s 2010 plus 2 years BEFORE it goes into place in 2012. Probably won’t get passed this year anyway. That’s what you call leg-is-”slay”-shon.

===========================
Single Payer Action is the only hope. Everybody in. Noboby out.
Private option is simply Medicare available for everybody who wants it. You still have to buy it, so if Private Companies can deal with that, lets go for it. Public or private available option for all. Except we know that private cos won’t cover the sick ones very long, so they will be forced to public option, but right now they simply cannot get any health care insurance. Sick people need some help. Will you help? http://www.singlepayeraction.org/blog/?p=1177
The question is actually, why does the POTUS say it will happen this year when it is obvious it will NOT happen this year, or next year or the year after that.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

It will begin this year, however it will be a slow process that will take a long time to implement.

Betty asks…

Why did Dems knowingly vote for a ponzi scheme “Madoff would have been proud of”?

GRAHAM: There’s a provision in this bill called the Class Act. For the first time, the federal government is going to offer to all Americans long-term health care insurance. Now here’s the deal. It will be offered by the federal government. You can sign up voluntarily. And they collect premiums for five years without any benefits. It generates $72 billion, which helps pay for this bill. The problem is once the benefits are paid out, the CBO says the thing’s going to go bankrupt. We won’t let it go bankrupt. The sickest people are going to join. One day, it will become an entitlement…

INGRAHAM: Another entitlement program.

GRAHAM: …to get long-term health care insurance from the federal government. Here’s what Kent Conrad, the Democratic Budget chairman, said about this provision: “A Ponzi scheme of the first order. The kind of thing that Bernie Madoff would have been proud of.” And he avowed to make sure it wasn’t in the bill. Seven Democrats wrote to Harry Reid in October, don’t put this in the bill.

INGRAHAM: It’s in the bill. Did they not know it was in the bill before they’ve all pledged we’re going to stand Kumbaya with Barack Obama and have this big celebration for this historic moment?

GRAHAM: All I can tell you, they said it was a Ponzi scheme Bernie Madoff would have been proud of. It’s in the bill they voted for it. Now they’re all co-conspirators of this Ponzi scheme.

INGRAHAM: Barack Obama also said today care will improve, efficiency will be increased, it’s deficit neutral, and all the naysayers out there are going to be proven wrong. Will care in any way, shape or form be improved for most Americans?

GRAHAM: If you take $470 billion out of Medicare over the next 10 years to start a new program, senior citizens are going to get less care. Hospitals and doctors are barely hanging on now, based on their reimbursement rates that Medicare is able to pay. If you take $470 billion out, you’re going to have a harder time finding a Medicare doctor. If you increase taxes by $518 billion, you don’t think any of it’s going to be passed on to the American consumer? This is a falsehood. This bill is based on false promises, things that will never happen. We’re not going to cut Medicare by $470 billion. And we are going to reimburse the doctors by $274 billion, which is not in the bill. So this whole thing’s a Ponzi scheme. It’s a gimmick.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Because they could.

Carol asks…

Is Dave Ramsey wrong about whole life insurance?

If anyone has spent even a few minutes listening to Dave Ramsey, you realize that he sells motivation, common sense, and enthusiasm more than he sells expertise. Not to say the guy doesnt know his stuff. Im a fan of his and listen to his show from an app on my Android phone.

But those who know him also know that he can very, for lack of a better expression, dogmatic about his financial theories. One area is life insurance:

Dave: NEVER EVER BUY WHOLE LIFE, only buy term. Invest the difference in premium in “good growth stock mutual funds” and you’ll have alot more.

I have a few problems with that.

First the dogma. All truth is reasonable, so theres no need to go nuts on a matter if its true

Second, all he’s really saying here is that instead of “investing money in life insurance, invest money in the stock market.” The reason why the reward is so much greater is because the risk is so much greater as well.

But in a reasonable estate plan, the goal is more about security for your survivors than getting rich.

Third, Any reasonable estate plan also factors in dramatic life changes. For instance, an incurable disease in its late stages, such as cancer. If you only have term coverage, when your term runs out, you cant buy another policy because no one will insure a cancer patient. With no cash from insurance, a person risks losing a significant portion of their nest egg to estate taxation. Or with no cash at all, a person risks losing personal property to pay it.

I personally would suggest that a person make reasonable estimates of what their estate will be worth at death. Estimate that the Federal estate tax exemptions will be $1,400,000. I say this figure because it splits the difference between the lowest estate tax exemption in history ($650,000) and the highest ($3.5 million) and and rounds it out.

Buy at least one whole life policy that can cover that tax liability. If you project an estate worth less than the 1.4 million dollar exemption, therby making you Federal estate tax free, buy a low whole life policy, around $100,000, so that funeral expenses and other things are covered without your family having to liquidate your assets to pay them, or if you live long enough for the cash value of the policy to be higer than the death benefit, (which usually takes at minimum 20 years) you get to enjoy a hefty sum of unexpected money while your still alive.

Meanwhile, follow Daves advice in having insurance equal to 10 times your households annual income. If your family makes 50 grand, and you already have the 100,000 whole life, buy 400,000 in term insurance to make an even $500,000

Investing in the markets may very well cause you to end up with more money. But thats only if all goes well, like you never dying in an accident. Building wealth is a good thing, but I dont think its more important than ensuring that your family is taken care of regardless of what happens to you.
Rick B:

You’re forgetting that if you die you get the death benefit with insurance. With investments, all you have is the value of the investments. If I die after two years of investing the premium in something safe, like CDs, my family gets, $1,100 give or take. But with the policy, my family would get $100,000.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Dave Ramsey ranks with all the other TV celebs like Suze Orman, Jim Kramer and all the others. He is on TV becuase of his personality, not his knowledge. He’s charming, entertaining and comes off as making big differences in peoples lives. All these TV celebs have been proven wrong many many times on TV with their misinformation. Some of their little tidbits have some validity, but none of the ideas that are valid are their own anyways…just recycled advice that most financial advisors give to their clients for free anyways (Pay yourself first, debt snowball…all ideas that are as old as the hills).

Life insurance is NOT a one size fits all solution. Ask any 60+ year old how the Buy Term and Invest the Rest strategy worked for them around 2008…most of them now sit with no insurance (some who have since become uninsurable), and their portfolio would be worth a fraction of what it was once worth and they can’t even fall back on selling their home as an asset to cover the shortfall either becuase the real estate market is still so low in the USA. Any of these quacks that are claiming whole life insurance is a scam are completely ignorant and don’t understand the facts about the differences. It’s like saying “BMW are a bunch of scammers becuase their cars are more expensive than a Honda.” Totally difference features and benefits.

And the only thing worse than hearing your spouse died is having to make the decision to sell the farm just to cover expenses and not know if there will be enough money left in the end. Buy a small whole life policy when you are young and in the long run it will work out to be FAR cheaper than term in the long run. While I haven’t done all the math on it, I would assume the extra $40/month I put into this policy over the next 20 years won’t add up to very much in comparison to the peace of mind that I have in knowing that things will be taken care of whether I die tomorrow, or in 40 years.

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Your Questions About Medicare Advantage

Carol asks…

how do we get out of these Medicare Advantage plans?

My mother got sucked into this Anthem deal and I’m convinced it’s a rip-off. Also the Medicare Part D sucks.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Idk about you’re Advantage plan for sure but i do believe you cannot disenroll past march 31st. As for medicare part d you cannot disenroll until november 15th. If you choose not to pay premiums she will be taken out but if she ever enrolls again she will face a penalty of 1% of the nation average of premiums for every month she went with out. This penalty would be charged monthly for the rest of her life

Paul asks…

What are the typical premiums/co-pays for Medicare Advantage plans with dental?

Also, is it possible I would be eligible for a Special Election Period because I also have Medicaid and Medicaid stopped most dental benefits?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

It depends upon your location; Medicare Advantage plans are county specific.

Most Medicare Advantage plan have very limited dental, such as one cleaning and one exam per year. Some Advantage plans will have dental as an option for an additional premium; in my area it runs an extra $14 – $39 per month.

Since you are dual eligible there are Medicare Advantage plans specifically designed for people on both Medicare and Medicaid and some have dental included. Any premium and co-pay for those plans will be paid for by Medicaid as long as you are QMB and receiving full Medicaid benefits. If you are receiving partial Medicaid benefits you’ll have a small premium and/or co-pay. What plans are available to you will depend upon your location and are not available in all counties.

You have an SEP all year because you also have Medicaid and can change plans at any time and as often as you wish.

Helen asks…

Which is better supplements to medicare or medicare advantage plans?

My mom is 72 and just retired and is losing health care coverage at work. Medicare advantage plans sound so much better than supplements to medicare. What’s your experience?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

There are pros and cons with both types, and this subject is too involved to get into much detail here. Which is best will depend upon her particular situation.

A Supplement allows you to visit any doctor that accepts Medicare. They come in several different options, generally Plans A through N. They do not have drug coverage so you need to get a separate stand alone drug plan. The premium is generally higher.

An Advantage plan will have doctor restrictions. What those restrictions are depends upon the plan option. Those options are HMO, PPO, HMO/POS, PFFS, SNP, MSA, DUAL, Cost, and PACE plans. These plans can be county specific so what is available depends on your county. Some of these plans have drug coverage while others don’t. Of those that do not have drug coverage some will allow you to get a separate stand alone drug plan while others won’t, and you’ll need to know which do and which don’t. The premium is generally much less, with many having a $0 premium in many counties.

You and your mom will need to contact a local agent that works with all of the major companies and with both types in her area. The agent can take the time to explain the differences and can find out which plan is best for her budget and situation. There is no charge using an agent.

Lizzie asks…

Must a health care provider who accepts Medicare also accept all Medicare supplemental and Advantage plans?

For health care providers who accept Medicare, can they choose which Medicare supplemental and which Medicare Advantage plans they want to accept or must they accept any and all Medicare supplemental and Medicare Advantage plans

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

It’s not simple answer.

If you have a Medicare Supplement you can go to any provider that accepts Medicare. With a Supplement the provider first bills Medicare. After Medicare pays most of those providers will bill your Supplement. If the provider chooses not to bill the Supplement you can send the bills off to the insurance company and get payment for what Medicare doesn’t pay.

With a Medicare Advantage plan there will be doctor restrictions, and those restrictions will depend upon the type of Medicare plan you have. There are HMO, HMO/POS, PPO, PFFS, SNP, MSA, DUAL, PACE, and Cost plans.

With an HMO you can only go to a doctor in the network.
With and HMO/POS you may go outside of the network with restrictions and approval.
With a PPO there is a doctor network but you can go to a doctor that is not in the network in most cases although your costs will be higher.

PFFS plans come in two flavors – one with a doctor network and one without a doctor network. You can generally go to any doctor that is willing to accept the plan. The doctor can accept the plan today and not accept it tomorrow. They can accept it from you but not accept it from your spouse. Congress really screwed these plans so if you are considering one of these types make sure your agent explains the difficulties fully.

SNP and DUAL plans can be either HMO or PPO.
MSA plans allow you to see any doctor willing to accept the plan and they have a savings account tied to them, similar to the HSA plans except that Medicare funds the account.
PACE and Cost plans are few and far between but do have doctor restrictions.

With an Advantage plan the provider only bills the insurance company.

Chris asks…

what if my Medicare Advantage plan doesnt cover a procedure ?

my mother in law has a rare skin cancer and her care improvement plus doesnt cover the treatments.
the dr office said she has to wait 2 months untill her insurance is up and get back on medicare can she cancel her care improvement plus early and get on medicare and get treatments ?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

She needs to talk with her agent ASAP.

The reason the Advantage plan is not covering could be because there are other procedures just as good but less expensive. If the doctor specifically states that she needs the procedure and that the other procedure won’t work the Advantage plan will cover the procedure as long as it is a Medicare approved procedure. Her agent can help her with the appeals process.

If it’s not a Medicare approved procedure it won’t get covered even if she goes back on original Medicare.

In my experience, doctors know little about what is and isn’t covered by Medicare and what is and isn’t covered by the Medicare Advantage plans.

To actually answer your question – No, she cannot cancel her Advantage plan early. She can disenroll from her plan between Oct 15 and Dec 7, and the disenrollment will be effective Jan. 1 (her current insurance isn’t “up” until December 31). The easiest way to disenroll is to enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan and she’ll automatically be disenrolled from the Advantage plan.

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Your Questions About Supplemental Medicare Insurance Plans

David asks…

In California: what health insurance company would you suggest?

What company has the best supplemental plan for medicare

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Try www.choicepointplans.com, I was able to sign up with Blue Cross right over the internet.

Lisa asks…

I am 64. If I already have a FEP health insurance plan (BC/BS), what is the advantage…?

…for me to enroll in Medicare?
I am a federal retiree with health care coverage through the Federal Employee Program. As I am currently in an initial open season to enroll in Medicare, I am being flooded with solicitations from health insurance companies to purchase supplemental health care coverage for Medicare Part B. I am confused by the literature I have read; and non of my peers seem to know any more than I do. I see no advantage to dropping my current health plan to enroll in Medicare Part B and purchase additional coverage to provide what I already have.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

If you don’t enroll when you’re first eligible, there are heavy penalties – for the rest of your life – for enrolling late.

Also keep in mind, many health plans automatically revert to a SECONDARY basis, when you become eligible for Medicare. You’ll need to check with your plan, to see how coverage changes when you turn 65, if you don’t enroll in Medicare.

Lastly, have you noticed that the Federal Government is broke? Constantly outspending the income, year after year? Did you notice how General Motors resolved that exact problem, after the feds took them over? They cut benefits for retirees. I think it’s very risky to rely on a program from an employer who’s broke.

Jenny asks…

Since Medicare is already a form of UHC, and they already ration care?

Why would anyone think that Obama’s plan would be any different?

I know they ration Medicare. My mom is on it. She also has to have a supplemental plan to help, but Medicare still dictates to her what she can and can’t do.
She had a knee replacement last year. It took two years to get Medicare to agree to that one. She still needs the other one done, but they told her in three years. At 73, that doesn’t garner much for quality of life now does it?
Her supplemental, provided by through private insurance, has told her they would pay for it when she’s ready, BUT, it MUST be approved through Medicare first.
Josh:
Yes you are right. Do you know who the grand daddy of HMO’s was?
Ted Kennedy.
Everyone has missed something I said.

My mothers private insurance has said they WILL pay for it when it happens. The problem is that since they are a supplemental to Medicare, they have to wait until Medicare approves it.
Rationing does happen even in the private sector, yes, but my point is Medicare is much worse.
You want UHC? You ain’t seen rationing yet.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

You forget, the (un)insurance companies ration care as well through the use of death panels.

It surprises me that so many Americans seem not to be aware about Obama’s healthcare plans [a]. During the election, he campaigned for these changes stating that he felt it was unfair to have a system where insurance companies try to escape paying claims and was elected to bring in changes [b].
First of all, too many people do not know that Obama wants to make insurance more available to all. His system is similar to that which works in Holland, Taiwan [c] and Switzerland. It works there and private healthcare companies provide most the insurance to the people there.
FACT – the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet [d].
FACT – insurance companies admit that they push up costs, buy politicians and do not pay out for many claims when they should [e].
FACT – the US has higher death rates for kids aged under five than western European countries with universal health coverage [f].

That means that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, France, the Netherlands, Cuba, Switzerland, Germany, Japan etc, all of which have universal health coverage. And no western European nation with universal healthcare has moved away from it. And the sad thing is, that the insurance companies have spent loads of money to fight these reforms [g] and loads of politicians are taking the thirty pieces of silver from them to fight the reforms, rather than fight for the health of the American people.

Remember, I back my facts up with evidence. Those who say they are wrong tend not to. If they are wrong, e-mail me with proof and let me know.

Mark asks…

Health insurance for self employed?

My husband runs a business as a sole proprieter with his father being is only employee. I run the office side of things, but I’m not on the payroll. My husband’s mother does not work, so she lives on what my husband pays his father. We want to get everyone health insurance (we have none right now). My mother & father-in-law will be covered by medicare in a couple of months but they will need supplemental for prescription drugs. Father-in-law has heart problems.

Question is….should we get a group “employer” health plan for everyone? Or should my husband and I get individual plans and just get them supplemental insurance separately?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Most states will allow you to purchase a group plan as long as you have 2 or more employees (including yourself) as long as the group is formed for a legitimate business purpose and not for the sole purposed of obtaining medical insurance.

In fact, some states will even allow groups of only one person to get a group health plan (FL is one example with their August sole proprietor plan).

The question is: “Should you purchase a group plan or an individual plan?”

A group plan will accept everyone onto coverage who applies even if they have major health problems (pre-existing conditions). Most individual plans will not.

However, an individual health insurance plan will be much much cheaper than a group plan with similar benefits. If everyone is relatively healthy then an individual plan for everyone may be the best way to go.

If you want to give benefits to your employees and pay for some of the cost (and still receive the tax benefits) then you may want to consider a medical reimbursement plan.

Either way, you will want to compare quotes from at least 3 different companies to find the best rate.

Here is some more information on self employed health insurance and medical reimbursement plans:

Joseph asks…

i want to be a millionaire.Should i start small and open a cafe.orrr?

Should I open a cafe so I can get my feet wet on being an entrepreneur then sell the cafe and move on to bigger things, or open a chain of cafes….orrr

I have a good friend, and in another instance a former boss who have come at me wanting to start a call center.One in debt settlement and another in Insurance(medicare supplemental), both saying they have business plans projecting hundreds of thousands a year.Possibly eventually millions, because of residuals and such.

so start small open a cafe then work my way up or try to go for the home run with the call centers?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Cafe sounds like a start, but you got to think how many cafes are out there! Think of some think unique:)

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Your Questions About Long Term Care Insurance

Sandra asks…

At what age do perfectly healthy men typically buy long-term care insurance?

In other words….at what age is it most cost effective when considering that long term rates would be locked in. (considering a currently healthy person)

When would you buy it?
FYI….I’m 42.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Unfortunately, most people wait until their late 50′s or early 60′s to purchase long-term care insurance. This is usually after they’ve experienced a friend or loved one needing the coverage and they realize how important it is.

The earlier the better for cost. The premium increases rapidly after age 50.

FYI – over 50% of us will need long term care assistance some time in our lives, and over 10% of those needing long term care are under 50. Medicare covers very little if any long term care and only for a short time.

David asks…

What to look for in Long Term Care Insurance?

Should I get a policy with higher daily benefits, higher life time maximum benifits, nursing home only or nursing home and other types of care? It is all so complicated and I just need some simple answers as how to get the most for my money.
Thanks.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Nobody here can really answer your question because what you need will depend upon your personal situation, such as how wealthy you may be (including assets), your current health condition, your age, the amount of premium you can afford, what family your may have, family medical history, how much risk you are willing to accept, etc.

In general, the average need for long term care is three years, so you at least want to get enough coverage for that. If you are married it is good to get spousal coverage where you two can share benefits. You will need a daily amount that will cover the average cost in your area minus what you can put toward the cost. You should stay away from nursing home only coverage because most people would prefer to stay at home if possible.

Contact a local agent that can work with you to find the best plan for your situation and budget and can answer all of your questions. The agent can explain the different plans. There is no extra charge using an agent and you’ll have someone local who can help.

Donald asks…

What’s the difference between Long-Term Disability Insurance and Long-Term Care Insurance?

I’m 25, which one should I get, if any?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Long-term disability insurance covers you if you’re unable to work. There’s different definitions of long-term disabled. For the first 2 years, it’s usually the “own occ” rule (own occupation), meaning you are covered only if you’re unable to work in the occupation you have skills/education for. After 2 years, it’s usually the “any occ” rule (any occupation), which means you have to be unable to work in any occupation. This is also based on your skills/education, so working at fast food place when you’ve got an undergrad degree won’t stop the coverage. There’s usually a long wait time until LTD plans kick in (6 months on average), but short-term should be covering you through that. LTD plans will usually only reimburse for 60-66.7% of your pay, up to a certain amount each month. Depends on the plan you get!

Long-term care is for nursing home care primarily.

At 25, you should worry about LTD insurance over the long-term care.

Maria asks…

What is the better between long term care insurance or just life insurance?

I am not very clear between both of this, I heard about these both, Could you please let me which one is better?? Thank you very much.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid..Individuals who require long-term care are generally not sick in the traditional sense, but instead, are unable to perform the basic activities of daily living..People who need long-term care often prefer care in the home or in a private room in an assisted living facility…But life insurance is the one where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individual’s or individuals’ death or other event, such as terminal illness or critical illness..Both are better and depends upon the need of the person..

Chris asks…

What part of the tax code prevents long term care insurance premiums from being deducted pretax?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

The part of the tax code that prevents you from deducting long term care insurance is the same part of the code that doesn’t say you can deduct it.

The only things that are deductible are the things the tax code says are deductible. Since the code doesn’t address a deduction for long term care insurance then it is not deductible.

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Your Questions About Medicare Insurance Coverage Part D

James asks…

Hatch usually works with Dems on health care, did you see why he pulled out of negotiations?

“Hatch was one of a handful of Republicans involved in negotiations with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) before dropping out two weeks ago…..

“The Democrats want a public option and they’re going to have a public option in the final bill,” Hatch said in reference to a proposal to create a broad government-run insurance program. He predicted that even if Baucus manages to pass a healthcare reform package with a membership-run co-op insurance plan instead of a government-run program, he would lose out to liberals in negotiations between the Senate and House.

“He’ll be crushed in the middle,” Hatch said of prospective Senate-House negotiations, adding that Democrats are intent on creating a system of “socialized medicine” in the United States.

Hatch pointed to what he considered major problems with Democratic healthcare reform proposals:

· They make no effort to curtail medical malpractice lawsuits, which Republicans claim cost $100 billion a year.

· Pending legislation could result in drastic cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals. Hatch said that doctors could see their reimbursements go down 25 percent and hospitals could see a 35 percent drop.

“The real problem is their ideas are out of this world,” he said of the Democrats’ healthcare proposals. “They’re saying they’re going to get $400-plus billion out of Medicare and Medicare is in debt right now.

“They’re going to pay doctors 25 percent less and going to pay hospitals 35 percent less and they think that system is going to work.”

A reform plan put together by House Democrats calls for $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade to help pay for the cost of covering about 45 million Americans currently without healthcare insurance.

But this does not sit well with Republicans and conservative Democrats given Medicare’s projected insolvency within the next decade.

In May the Obama administration announced that Medicare is running out of funding faster than projected. Obama administration officials predict that Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will become exhausted by 2017.

Defenders of the House healthcare bill say the legislation would reinvest nearly $300 billion back into Medicare to increase payments to doctors. But that would still result in a net reduction of about $200 billion, which would be used to pay for expanded insurance coverage.

Hatch’s strong opposition is a troubling sign for Democrats because he has been party to some of the biggest healthcare bills to pass Congress in recent year.

He joined with Sen. Edward Kennedy in 1997 to create the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover the kids of working-class parents who did not qualify for Medicaid.

Hatch also teamed up with Democrats to pass legislation expanding stem cell research in 2007, one of the first priorities of Democrats after they regained control of Congress.

Before the Democratic take-over, Hatch sided with Democrats in pressing former President George W. Bush to accept legislation that would have expanded SCHIP by $35 million over five years. Bush vetoed the legislation.

Hatch voted against an expansion of SCHIP when it came up for another vote earlier this year because Democrats rewrote the bill and excluded him from having input. Hatch said the version that passed in January made “a mockery of the original intent by expanding CHIP to cover people for whom the program was never intended.” The bill expanded health coverage in some parts of the country to the children of families earning up to $88,000.
What do you think?
Stonecold, the problem with the insurance industry is that the govt gave them preferences creating monopolies. I agree we need reform and I will look at that one. I like Ron Paul’s too. I just can’t stand what the Dems are pushing.
But I don’t think the govt has the right to mess with ins for those of us who don’t want their plan, now or after we lose our current plans Why don’t they just address preexisting conditions?

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

He’s spot on.

…

By the way, I’ve not been negligent lately. Y!A has chosen not to alert me when you and my other contacts ask questions. It’s like I’m living in the no-zone lair.

…

Mary asks…

Which of the following provisions of the Senate HC Bill do you disagree with?

I know that the House HC Bill is better, and has public option. And that the Senate Bill will have to be reconciled with the House Bill, before each house again votes for the final product. Can CONSERVATIVES help me out, and help Congress by selecting the parts they don’t want in the final bill? Thanks! (from following list, please)

– Extend coverage to 31 million Americans, the largest expansion of coverage since the creation of Medicare.

– Ensure that you can choose your own doctor.

– Finally stop insurance companies from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

– Make sure you will never be charged exorbitant premiums on the basis of your age, health, or gender.

– Guarantee you will never lose your coverage just because you get sick or injured.

– Protect you from outrageous out-of-pocket expenditures by establishing lifetime and annual limits.

– Allow young people to stay on their parents’ coverage until they’re 26 years old.

– Create health insurance exchanges, or “one-stop shops” for individuals purchasing insurance, where insurance companies are forced to compete for new customers.

– Lower premiums for families, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office — especially for struggling folks who will receive subsidies.

– Help small businesses provide health care coverage to their employees with tax credits and by allowing them to purchase coverage through the exchanges.

– Improve and strengthen Medicare by eliminating waste and fraud (without cutting basic benefits), beginning to close the Medicare Part D donut hole, and extending the life of the Medicare trust fund.

– Create jobs by reining in costs — fostering competition, reducing waste and inefficiency, and starting to reward doctors and hospitals for quality, not quantity, of care.

– Cut the deficit by over $130 billion in the next 10 years.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Conservatives would be against all of the improvements because:
1) They don’t want government mandates

2) They don’t want Democrats to get credit for making health insurance more fair, more affordable, and also improve competition between existing providers.

3) They haven’t read bills and believe any use of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” to be socialism, marxist, or plain UN-American (like our current prosperity and freedoms haven’t come in part with government interventions)

But, that’s not all.
They have created lies, and falsehoods that promote fear, rather than look at the actual facts. We have nothing to fear, but not doing anything.

That would be a disaster, to leave health care in the hands of “for profit” corporate America, with hardly any regulations or competition, that benefit ordinary Americans, and taxpayers.

Good Question, I gave you a star

EDIT: Kojak: Then who will solve these problems?
Doris’s “facts” are listed before you, the improvements are factual, if signed into law.

Who else besides the FEDS can solve the problems you recognize?
The Nov 2008 elections were in part a referendum for action.

Government help for medical care was first suggested 100 yrs ago by Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican. Even Senator Lieberman was for a public option, at one time. (was he bought off?)

Public options and government regulations are not UNmanageable, and they will be efficient, and economical with “economy of scale.”

Huge overhead and extra admin costs result now from hundreds of health insurance payers, different companies and different forms that create massive paper work, and fraudulent multiple claims.

The Federal government now has “success” or experience with management of MEDICARE, MEDICAID, Social Security, IRS, CIA, FBI, Federal Highways, EPA, FDA, etc. The Federal Reserve System has saved our banking system from ruin, several times.

I trust the people, and “we” are the government.

Maria asks…

Another suboxone question?

I’ve been on 3 suboxone for two years. They are switching my insurance to medicare because I’m disabled. I think I’m gonna have to give up the subs. If I have a bunch, whats the best way to wean down? Give me a chart please. Like 2 a day for a week, then 1 1/2 a day for a week, then 1 a day for a weeek, then half a day for a week, then quarter a day for a week, then quarter every other day for a week, then done? sound good? I don’t want withdrawals. I’ve been through them so many times. They are switching me to medicare june first. I am so scared. Does anyone know if any part D coverage covers suboxone? I’ll cut down, but I don’t wanna give it up. I’m so scared. The government is changing my insurance, and its like a blindside. I cant even pick a medicare prescription plan till may 1st. My Masshealth paid for everything. I don’t get it. I’ve robbed pharmacy’s, I’ve pickpocketed, I’m a menace to society when I’m getting high. It’s in the government’s best interest to keep me on suboxone. It’s like a mirical. I dont crave. I dont get high. I am stable, and now they want to f*** me up. I just don’t get it.
Hey Lone! Thanks for the assumption. I am fine. Many people take 3 aday. Thats why masshealth pays for 3 a day. If it was too high, then the doc and ins would say something. I’ve done my research. I’ve made my decision. I don’t need snide remarks from a know it all. I am fine. I asked a simple question and you lecture me. U must be a peach to hang with. Loser. Don’t answer questions if your only goal is to insult the person asking. I’ve been to long term treatment many times. I’ve been locked up. Everything. My doctor and insurance came up with a medical option for me. I never I repeat never feel high. Never ever ever ever. I hope you feel good trying to knock people down. You probably trip blind people too huh? Whatever, I’m not gonna let one idiot ruin my day. U haven’t done 1/100th the research I’ve done. Keep your mouth shut. Tool
Lone blocked…..I love tech. How am I even thinking straight on such a whopping dose. I used to shoot up 5 80mg oxy every day for years. I tried one suboxone and still had cravings. Went to two and still had cravings. Went to three (which the insurance pays for so it must be a safe dose) and I have no cravings. I’m stable. I live life. I’m engaged. I take care of everything. I don’t need someone like Lone to come and knock me down. I will stand up for myself. It is not too high a dose for ME. see its different for everyone. If 3 a day was bad then ins wouldn’t pay. I’ve been on 3 for over two years with no problem. I’ll just slowly ween down. I gueess. Thanks for the help, I mean insult, It means alot to me. I’m glad I got the support.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Sooner or later the Suboxone will stop working anyways, so you might better get off it before that happens.

24 mg’s a day is a WHOPPINGLY HUGE DOSE. That dose would KILL anyone who is not opiate dependent.

No one, and I mean no one needs that big a dose. I know hardcore heroin addicts that get by on 2 mg’s a day juts fine.

It seems more like you are worried about losing your free high than getting clean, and it sounds like you are anything BUT stable.

Can you say long term rehabilitation?

William asks…

Let’s change this law!?

The law that is plain stupid and costly to both taxpayers and to the government is the law which requires that I sign up for Medicare Parts A, B, and D upon my 65th birthday regardless of my circumstance. I have a wife and dependent son. As a retired person I have medical insurance. If I discontinue my medical insurance and sign up for Medicare A,B & D, my wife and son are without medical insurance. If, I continue my medical insurance then I pay for the supplemental insurance plus my premiums for my existing coverage (that covers also wife and son) so that the only ones that benefit are the insurance companies. Additionally, this option costs the taxpayer for the federally provided portion of Medicare A, B & D. So, both the taxpayer and the Government pay out unnecessarily for duplicate coverage. However, since I am currently insured (as is my wife and son) and I do NOT sign up for Medicare A, B, and D, I am penalized by the Federal Government (10% per year, for every year that I DON’T sign up and cost both myself and the taxpayer additional money). Why should anyone be penalized for having Medical Insurance? Why should I be REQUIRED to have duplicate coverage? Why should the taxpayer be required to pay for duplicate medical coverage? Like I said, stupid and costly.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

Right on get people talking this is a good idea. Starred

George asks…

Is anyone bothered at all by these statistics? Do we really have?

the best health care system? PLEASE just read through and tell me that something is really wrong when the greatest country in the world stacks up to other countries in the way we do.

Reports & statistics from the OECD:

• Half of all bankruptcies IN THE US are caused by medical bills
• Three-quarters of those filings are by people with health insurance.
• The average overhead cost for U.S. private health insurers is 11.7%; for Medicare, it is 3.6%; for Canada’s national health insurance program, it is 1.3 %
• A baby born in El Salvador has a better chance of surviving than a baby in Detroit.
• The infant mortality rate in Detroit is 15.5, compared to El Salvador’s rate of 9.7.12
• Over the next decade, the US federal government will give the drug & health care industries an estimated $822 billion as a result of the 2003 Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug plan).
• There are four times as many health care lobbyists in Washington as there are members of Congress
• There are 100 times more lobbyists of all stripes in Washington today than there were during the Reagan presidency.
• 90% of Americans believe the American health care system needs fundamental changes or needs to be completely rebuilt. 75% of Americans believe the federal government should guarantee universal health care for all citizens.
Life expectancy

1. San Marino …….. 80
2. Australia ……….. 79
3. Cyprus …………. 79
4. Iceland…………. 79
5. Israel……………. 79
6. Japan………….. 79
7. Sweden………… 79
8. Switzerland…… 79
9. Andorra………… 78
10. Canada…………. 78
11. Italy……………… 78
12. Monaco……….. 78
13. Netherlands…. 78
14. New Zealand .. 78
15. Norway………… 78
US 38th on list

LOWEST INFANT MORTALITY (RATE per THOUSAND BIRTHS)

1. Singapore….. 2.31
2. Bermuda…… 2.46
3. Sweden……… 2.75
4. Japan………… 2.79
5. Iceland…….. 3.23
6. France ………. 3.33
7. Finland……. 3.47
8. Anguilla…… 3.52
9. Norway…….. 3.58
10. Malta……….. 3.75
11. Andorra…… 3.76
12. Czech Republic … 3.79
13. Germany……… 3.99
14. Switzerland….. 4.18
15. Spain ………….. 4.21

2007- United States Infant Mortality Rate Average = 6.37 Deaths per 1000 Live Births

One of the worst, AFGHANISTAN, is at 152 deaths per 1000…..

TOP FIVE – CHILD DEATHS – DUE TO MALTREATMENT SOURCE – UNICEF

1. Mexico: …………. 2.2 per 100,000 children
2. United States:.. 2.2 per 100,000 children
3. Hungary:……….. 1.2 per 100,000 children
4. New Zealand:… 1.2 per 100,000 children
5. Austria: …………. 0.9 per 100,000 children

TOP FIVE — CHILD POVERTY – SOURCE: UNICEF

# 1. Mexico:……… 26.2
# 2. United States:.. 22.4
# 3. Italy:…………… 20.5
# 4. United Kingdom:. 19.8
# 5. Turkey:……….. 19.7

2008 – FORBES – TOP TEN – OVERALL HEALTHIEST COUNTRIES

1. ICELAND
2. SWEDEN
3. FINLAND
4. GERMANY
5. SWITZERLAND
6. AUSTRALIA
7. DENMARK
8. CANADA
9. AUSTRIA
10. NETHERLANDS

** USA was #11!

Among the OECD’s 30 members – (which include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) – there are only 3 members lacking universal health coverage[. Two of them, Mexico and Turkey, have the excuse of being poorer than the rest (and until the onset of the world economic crisis, Mexico was on the way to providing healthcare to all of its citizens).

The third, of course, is the United States.
Maxwell, that's too bad. The stats are NOT mine. They are from the OECD. So you think they just make up numbers that are not true? That's about as logical as the birther movement.

Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:

As someone who works closely with the medical insurance industry, I know all about those stats, man.

I’m just surprised people are this ignorant to assume that nothing should be done about it. Obama is, at least, thinking in the right direction even if his ideas are not embraced.

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