Medicare; a public plan with private options

Supposn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
102
A great segment, over 40% of our under 65 population are not covered by any health insurance. Only 1.5% of our elderly over 65 are not covered by health insurance. I am not satisfied with the manner of Medicare funding but the over whelming majority of Medicare’s patients and their children are pleased with Medicare’s quality of health service.

Patrick Moynihan declared we all are entitled to our own opinions but not to our own facts. An opinion with regard to any USA health policy, (existing or proposed, public or private, pro or con), without some minimal knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid is less than an informed opinion.

Medicare itself is actually three insurance plans, Medicare Part A, B and D. Part D that covers prescription drugs differs from parts A and B to a great extent. I’ll devote some later message to Medicare Part D. Medicare Part A is primarily for hospital care and is almost a pure universal entitlement; (98.5% of our nation’s elderly).
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Medicare Part B is primarily for professional services such as doctors’ care. It is not a universal entitlement for the elderly. There are monthly fees paid for each person enrolled within Medicare Part B. Further more health providers can bill patients for an additional co-payments of up to 25% of what the government paid for medical services rendered (to the patient).. The majority, (3/5) of the elderly themselves or their guardians pay for Medicare Part-B fees. The Medicare Part-B co-payments may be similarly paid or they may be paid through a non-government insurance entity. Almost all of the remaining 2/5 of Medicare patients are covered by Medicaid.

The federal government’s medical accounting tasks are performed by the Social Security Administration’s Central Medical Services Bureau. They monitor the value of medical services rendered on behalf of each patient and the disbursement of payments to medical facilities or other health services providers. They do not collect or distribute Medicare Part-B co-payments.

Funding for Medicaid is shared by the federal government and the individual states. Its general frame work is federally regulated but it is directly administrated and regulated by each individual state. It is less of an entitlement than Medicare (parts A or B) because in most (if not all) states, only persons qualifying for some form of public assistance are generally qualified to for Medicaid. Many poor people’s incomes are too great to qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid covers all services covered by Medicare plus dental care and eyeglasses. Many, (if not all) states economize by limiting Medicaid patience choice s of health providers. Medicare Part-B patients who pay their own fees and co-payments have absolute choice of their medical service providers.

Respectfully, Supposn
 
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