authfriend wrote: > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, off_world_beings <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> >> wrote: >> > <snip> > >>> Just FYI, right before I went on Medicare >>> in February of this year, my group health >>> insurance premiums--single, no dependents-- >>> had been raised to $14,612 a year.. >>> >> Ouch ! >> >> <<That's >> >>> $281 a week, hardly a "little bit" of money. >>> >> So Medicare pays for you? How does that work? >> > > Complicated. Everyone over 65 who has paid > into the system via their Social Security > taxes is covered by Medicare automatically and > (I think) completely for hospitalization; it > will also, for a smallish premium, cover > doctor's visits and outpatient stuff up to a > point (for physicians who take Medicare), but > most people need additional insurance (called > "Medigap") because there are always some out- > of-pocket costs. Medigap policies are offered > by private companies, but to specifications > laid down by Medicare. > > You can now also get a private HMO plan through > Medicare, which may or may not cost you less and > may or may not give you the same service. Some > are saying it's a scam, but I didn't take that > option, so I'm not up on the details. > > Then there's prescription drug coverage, which > until a year or so ago hadn't been covered at > all. Now you can get a private policy if you're > eligible for Medicare that covers up to $2,400 > per year with copayments; then you have to pay > additional costs up to--I forget, $5,000 or > something--at which point the policy takes over > again. This is called the "doughnut hole" and > is very bad for many people who have to take a > lot of drugs or expensive drugs. > > The drug plan is also a boon to the drug companies > because Medicare is prohibited from negotiating > prices, and there are other big problems with it > too complicated to go into. > > Even with all this, it's still considerably cheaper > to be on Medicare. But it's getting more expensive > to the government by the day, and something is going > to have to be done to curb costs. Major policy > mess. > > >>> Of course, since I work freelance, I had >>> to pay for all of it, no employer >>> contribution, so it was higher than for most >>> employees. But most freelancers have a >>> terrible time getting *any* health insurance, >>> and those who do pay a very substantial >>> percentage of their income for it. >>> >> I got it no problem as a freelancer and pay about 340 a >> month (cost: about $2 an hour). >> > > Depends on what state you're in and what kind of > policy you want. And how much deductible. My policy is around $240 a month but then they add a 50% surcharge because I am overweight plus I have a $2500 deductible. Policies for self-employed people aren't as good as group policies either. This is a crime but then most big business is run by organized crime anymore anyway. My doctor had a fit over the 50% surcharge, he could see 10-15% but not 50%. Once you get down to what weight they think you should be (within about 10 lbs) if you stay there or under for 6 months they'll drop the surcharge.
I think for this country we need to erase the blackboard and start over again. It's way too screwed up to fix.
