Is it time to get rid of Medicare?

[wreckhog]

It is socialized medicine.

It costs a lot.

Doctors don't like it.

[dukkillr]

Its medicaid doctors don't like.  And it doesn't matter whether it's time or not, it sure as hell isn't possible.

[wreckhog]

Actually it is Medicare they hate

[SHOOTALL]

So what do the people on MC do ? Die ?

[dukkillr]

Actually it is Medicare they hate

Provide me with the name of one doctor that takes medicaid but not medicare.  Just one would be fine.  Many don't like either, but medicaid reimbursements are a fraction of medicare.  Medicare isn't wildly below insurance rates.

[SHOOTALL]

Not to mention those in the system tend to be of an age where they often see a doctor more.

[wreckhog]

Actually it is Medicare they hate

Provide me with the name of one doctor that takes medicaid but not medicare.  Just one would be fine.  Many don't like either, but medicaid reimbursements are a fraction of medicare.  Medicare isn't wildly below insurance rates.

Defiine "take". Any of the docs that work for these guys. They participate with Medicaid but not with Medicare part B.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/billing-rst/

[wreckhog]

So what do the people on MC do ? Die ?

I have always considered death unavoidable.

[beerbelly]

People Pay for Medicare , check your pay stub! Medicaid is for sorry SOB's that won't work! The poor don't you know. Read minority’s!
                                            Beerbelly

[dukkillr]

Actually it is Medicare they hate

Provide me with the name of one doctor that takes medicaid but not medicare.  Just one would be fine.  Many don't like either, but medicaid reimbursements are a fraction of medicare.  Medicare isn't wildly below insurance rates.

Defiine "take". Any of the docs that work for these guys. They participate with Medicaid but not with Medicare part B.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/billing-rst/

I can't help but wonder if you read your own link?  They do NOT accept medicaid other than that from adjoining states (read political and tax base) and even then with prior approval and possibly a cash deposit.  State and teaching hospitals are a unique beast in that they need a large and somewhat underserved base.  In this case Mayo is no longer taking Medicare (Plan B only) as something of a combination "experiment"/political statement.  Spend some time reading on the subject and you will find that I am right, both about the differerence between Medicaid and Medicare and Mayo's policy.

This is beside the point of your post, which is the type where I often ask why we even discuss something clearly not possible regardless of it's validity.  It's the type of idea put forth by those operating in Happy Ideologue Land and not the real world.

Frankly, it's the real problem with these types of entitlements, that they cannot realistically be undone.  Every working American has paid for medicare and expects it's benefits.  Even the reasonably wealthy take it, even if they seek out suplemental insurance as well.  There is no politically or socially viable way to undo that.  Perhaps the only hope would be to allow younger workers the option of opting out.  The problem is that they would still be expected to pay for those recieving benefits today but forfeit their right to future personal benefits in exchange for a lower tax.  I'd seriously consider this option personally for Social Security, and perhaps Medicare as well (although I suspect accepting Medicare is a financially correct decision).  Unfortunately neither political party makes any real effort to untether us from the nanny state, and most Americans are fine with that.  That is the reality of a democracy/republic.

[wreckhog]

People Pay for Medicare , check your pay stub! Medicaid is for sorry SOB's that won't work! The poor don't you know. Read minority’s!
                                            Beerbelly

People can get Medicare by surviving. Paying into it is not required. Socialism.

[mcwoodduck]

I think there are better ways.
For those that have retired or are about to retire the governemnt needs to fufill the comitment they made to them.
For the others in certain age rackets, they should be given be allowed to opt out for other plans. - Medical Saving accounts - Medical 401K, and private insurance policies to cover catastrophic illnesses.  Easy way for the tax is t to make all income tax from the private insurance companies go to fund medicare, as it ends the income taxes would revert back to simple income taxes.
Those under a certain age will not be allowed in and will have to go with a private plan.
Those that opt out will have to pay a small percentage to cover the health care plans that were promised and have paid into.
As the population on Medicare shrinks over time the payments will get smaller and finally end and end the special tax- picking a year in 2040's
The private plans need to be national, meaning that you can buy from one state to another and transfer from one state to another as people that retire do not always stay in the same place they lived.
As I have said many times there is NOTHING that Government can do better than the Private sector.
I think we should have a flat 5% tax with the forst 30,000 tax free for single and 60,000 for married.  This will stimilate the economy and not allow the corrupt congress to change the rules and help one special interest group over another and reward you for spending your money the way their group wants you to in a tax credit or rebates.
I feel the same way about Social Security.  If I was allowed to invest 2/3 of what has benn spent on Social Security in a private account over my working time I would not need social security.  the other 1/3 would be lost to the system.

[teamnelson]

You don't have to get rid of it - it's dying.

Folks are deluding themself if they imagine Medicare/Aid, SocSec, Retirement or anything else will be funded much longer. If you have a public retirement option, federal, military or state, its contingent on the financial health of the government ... If you have a private retirement option, those are all contingent on federal insurance, which is contingent on the financial health of the government ... Think about it. If the investment firm who manages your private IRA goes defunct, the government is supposed to cover the loss. But if the government can't cover the loss, what do you do?

I'm 41 and my retirement and health insurance are all tied to the Government through Military/VA benefits, or will be in a few years when/if I retire. I think I've finally come to grips with the reality that they won't be there for me when I need them. But we will have a national retirement, and a national HC, funded by a national workforce, paying a national VAT, and people who do not work will receive the exact same as a guy who devoted his life to defense of this nation. Or I'll be starting cook fires with my investment portfolio. My guess is those who don't know how to start a fire will be voting socialist because the alternative will be difficult.

Those who give up liberty for security deserve neither.

[mcwoodduck]

Team Nelson,
The problem we have is the morons that think there is a zero sum gain and that the only way to pay for these programs is the confiscate more and more of the nations wealth.
The simple question is would you rather have 33% of a billion or 5% of a trillion.
The more the people have the more they will spend and invest and the more companies will hire to and the economy will expand 1,000 times as money is created.
The dolts in congress think if they lower taxes they will loose income and not gain it.
The evil ones in congress that want power under stand the more they take the less free you are and more will NEED them.
And we have Had a stupid arrogant press that is not well informed trying to report on it since the late 60's.

[teamnelson]

mcwoodduck, excellent points!

The Masai herd cattle in the most dangerous grazing lands on earth. You are not a man until you kill a lion, and that's with a spear. They very rarely eat a whole cow. Instead they peel a strip off the living cow - they're very good at this. Why? Because that cow will recover pretty quick, procreate, and the herd continues to flourish.

If Congress were the tribal leaders of the Masai, they'd kill all the bulls first and distribute the beef to everyone but the men in charge of the herd. And then they'd outlaw spears.

[mcwoodduck]

LOL.
ANd then tax the spear makers for not making the spears that they were collecting on before.

[The Hermit]

Ask some old sob that is 74 and you will get a different answer. I paid in to social security and medicare for a good number of years. The government spent every last dollar of it and every dollar you boys are paying into it now. The social security trust fund that they talk about has no money in it. It holds worthless government obligations. It is the biggest ponzi scheme ever created. The next biggest ponzi scheme is this new health care "plan" created by Obama.
Ya, get rid of medicare and social security. Ask your self if you are able, at your current age, to be self suffiecient by age 65, with out any of these programs. Now ask your self if you would be better off if the government didn't take so much of your hard earned money. Start saving folks.


    The Hermit

[wreckhog]

Ask some old sob that is 74 and you will get a different answer. I paid in to social security and medicare for a good number of years. The government spent every last dollar of it and every dollar you boys are paying into it now. The social security trust fund that they talk about has no money in it. It holds worthless government obligations. It is the biggest ponzi scheme ever created. The next biggest ponzi scheme is this new health care "plan" created by Obama.
Ya, get rid of medicare and social security. Ask your self if you are able, at your current age, to be self suffiecient by age 65, with out any of these programs. Now ask your self if you would be better off if the government didn't take so much of your hard earned money. Start saving folks.


    The Hermit

One thought is that by trying to save everyone, you lose. Traditionally, old people walk into the sea and die to free up limited resources for the younger folks. Free up the resources going to the seniors, and we will have more for the younger folks, ie trade the present for the future. It is a tough call, but I think that we should try it for a decade or so and see how it works out.

[magooch]

Wait a minute; let's not jump into something before we study it for a good long time.  I'm only 66 and am enjoying retirement enormously, so if we study the problem for about 30 years, we should be able to come up with the right solution.

Of course socialism is unsustainable--in all its forms.  That is and was a known fact, but the alternative is not acceptable.  So there we are, trying to juxtapose the unsustainable with the unacceptable.  I'm sure we'll figure it out in about 30 years.

[wreckhog]

What did people do before Medicare? Do that.

[teamnelson]

It is a truth that senior voters can be the most selfish and the most vocal. They also tend to value security over liberty per the stats.

But not all. What we used to do was take care of family, build for the next generation, who built on that and so on. Now we build for ourselves ... sell the farm for a cabana in Florida and an RV. And have nowhere to go when we can't be independent anymore. So perhaps if we all grew up a little, stopped being selfish, no one would feel so insecure they'd sell their grandchildrens liberties for cheaper meds.

[The Hermit]

When I said "start saving folks" I ment to start saving money for your future.
If you think I'm gonna "walk in to the sea" your sadly mistaken. If thats your plan when you get old, I pity you. Is that what you want for your parents and grandparents, just to walk in to the sea?


   The Hermit

[powderman]

I'd be tickled to death to get medicare. I'm 62, no insurance, can't qualify til I'm 65 years old for any relief. My wife is disabled and gets a medical card, we couldn't do without it. I easily qualify for disability with my heart, but if I file for it she loses hers, because we are married.  My income counts against hers because we are married,  I said, what if we were just shackups??? Not Married??? She said no problem then. I've paid into this program for 45 years, now I want a bit back. Sin pays very well. POWDERMAN.  

[teamnelson]

Pman, my late mother was told not to remarry or shed lose her benefits. She did anyway and I'm glad she did, eventhough it wiped out all the $ she had from her mothers inheritance. Never sacrifice right for $.

[littlecanoe]

TN,
I love your position in reply #20.  This is near and dear to my heart.  I'm trying to take this direction for my family.
Family takes care of family one generation to the other.

Working in health care is heart breaking. Especially, seeing people stashed away in nursing homes.
I fully believe that many of our elderly who are in these facilities would thrive if they were around family and had that loving interaction.
Missing that connection I'm convinced that they slide further and further into despair, depression and dementia.
DISCLAIMER:  Some people are unable to take care of the needs of the loved one because the needs are so extensive.

If I understand 1 Tim 5:8 correctly, OT law is referenced concerning a son caring for his elderly parents.  
Does your understanding of the text confirm this?  
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse  than  an unbeliever.

lc

[powderman]

TN. Several friends and a ss worker told me hat we should get a divorce, that aint happening. I sent an email to the capitol here in Ky stating the discrimination against married folks, it was supposed to go out to all of the congresscritters. Doubt I'll ever hear from any of them. POWDERMAN. 

[magooch]

Here's a little hint:  Expecting, or hoping that your relatives will take care of you is iffy at best and in most cases it probably burdens those who are already having a hard enough time taking care of themselves and their offspring.  In my book, the ideal situation is to save and invest when you're working, so you won't burden others as you manure.  In the new world of obamanomics it ain't going to be easy, but then when was it.

The real trick is knowing how much of your nestegg to lavish on yourself, so that you don't burden your kids with an inheritance.  You want it to last as long as you do, but not much longer.

[SHOOTALL]

Death is unavoidable but life can be prolonged with proper care . Why do I think of Hitler and such when i read BS like this ?

[wreckhog]

Death is unavoidable but life can be prolonged with proper care . Why do I think of Hitler and such when i read BS like this ?

Dunno. I figure Heaven is filled with kittens and sunshine. Why do you fear your end? I don't.

[ironglow]

People Pay for Medicare , check your pay stub! Medicaid is for sorry SOB's that won't work! The poor don't you know. Read minority’s!
                                            Beerbelly

People can get Medicare by surviving. Paying into it is not required. Socialism.

    I don't believe you are quite accurate there, the medicare people I know are not freeloaders so much as the medicaid group. Most of them worked all their lives and are paying the govt a fee of perhaps $110 monthly, plus buying a private health care plan. Then when they visit a doc..there's a co-pay.
    Most(not all) medicaid recipients as I see it, are strictly freeloaders. Do they pay the govt 100+ dollars a month, buy separate insurance and pay a co-pay ? You tell me..
   No matter though, Obamaism will soon destroy any of these..