An investigative Essay by John M Jones III (7/31/19)
Bernie Sanders & other Dems trumpet their ‘Medicare 4 All’ plan as a means to give health insurance to the masses, but what they don’t tell you is that a medicare would be considered a substandard insurance if it was offered by a private insurer and its so full of holes it makes a strainer look like a solid bowl. Medicare not only has significant gaps in coverage, but hundreds of dollars in hidden & extra premiums can deal a knockout blow to those who live paycheck to paycheck.
So what is Medicare anyway? There are 4 parts to US medicare program. Part A & B are the primary parts of the program. Part A is Hospital services, Limited skilled nursing facility care, Hospice care, Limited home health services, Inpatient mental health services. (1) Part a has $1,288 hospital deductible & $12,880 deductible for a nursing facility! (1a) Part B is the medical side of medicare and requires a premium be paid by the insuree. The average Medicare B premium is $135. (2) It covers certain outpatient services, such as: Preventive services and screenings, Doctor appointments, including yearly wellness exams, & more. After reaching a $185 deductible the insuree now must pay 20% of ALL expenses. Part b has a $166 deductible. (1a)
“Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage, is an alternative way to get your Original Medicare benefits. Instead of getting your Medicare benefits through the federally administered program, you can get them through a Medicare Advantage plan, which is available through Medicare-approved private insurance companies. You may have to pay a separate premium for your Medicare Part C. (1) Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. You’ll usually pay a monthly premium for your Medicare prescription drug coverage, and copayments and coinsurance costs when you fill prescriptions. Each Medicare plan that covers prescription drugs sets different costs for covered medications. The average Part D premium was $33.19 in 2019. (3) Part D also has a $360 deductible. (8)
Sounds good Right? Well, let’s look what the dems don’t want you to see! By the coverage:
There is NO dental, vision, of Hearing coverage. (11) Dentures, can cost about $1,000 to north of $5,000. X-rays $200, a filling runs $150 or $200, and a tooth implant can be upward of $4,000. Glasses are also not covered. (11)
Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting so you pay 100% for hearing aids and exams. (12)
Average cost of a hearing aid is $1000-$4000. (11) There is NO medicae coverage outside of the USA. (11)
Part A & B have major gaps in coverage. A Medigap plan runs about $159 to $236 per month. (11)
By the numbers:
In 2017, there were 55,900,000 million people on medicare (4), and $1,145,000,000,000 (1.1 Trillion) was paid out by the US treasury for their healthcare costs. (6)
That’s over 20K per person per year. Using the US population of 325 million in 2017 had the dems M4A plan been in place the government would have spent another $6,500,000,000,000. That’s $6.5 TRILLION in 2017.
EACH person on medicare in 2017 and would’ve still paid premiums of $1,620 and almost $400 in part B & D premiums not to mention 20% of all medical expenses & medicate GAP premiums = $4,852 (7)
There are multiple medicare deductibles for coverage in the fine print: $1,288 + $12,880 + $166 + $360 = $14,694 (7)
Today, there still is a Part D prescription drug pit of hell: Once an Insuree has paid a total of $3,820 deductibles & drug copays they have to pay 100% of the next $5,100 for all their medications. (7)
Out of Pocket:
Regular Deductibles: <$15,000
Premiums: <$ 4,852
Drug Deductible: <$ 8,920
20% of all Costs: <incalculable
If the 44% of the 327 million US residents who did not pay income tax in 2018 would be subsidized the expenses above. The US government will incur ANOTHER $9,408,444,000,000 (9.4 Trillion) in debt.
Therefore, M4A would cost $15,908,444,000,000 (15.908 TRILLION) not in 20, 15, 10 or 5 but ONE YEAR!
Finally, in 2017 only $255,900,000,000 (255.6 Billion) was collected in Medicare Taxes (10) which means the treasury would have been OVER 15.6 TRILLION dollars in deficit in 2017 had M4A been in place.
Anyone, who tries to tell you that M4A is a viable piece of legislation is a lying, piece of garbage & a traitor to America! The dems and their dirty rat-infested swamp bills are a lot like cubic zirconias. They look real on the outside but under the surface they’re only a shallow, cowardly, disgusting, revolting, repugnant, treasonous, and putrid imitations of a real bill!
Our political system works BEST when educated and informed voters look at all the candidates, amendments, and referendums and make choices that will not only benefit them but their neighbor, their community and their country. Don’t let others mislead you into choosing a path that leads to not only to the destruction of our country but will take away the freedoms that our founding fathers, and our countrymen fought and died for the last 242 years!
Writers Note: I welcome responses this content. For those who may disagree with me I encourage nay challenge you to try and refute my assertions with clear, concise, and verifiable arguments to counter the ones I have presented (see above and source material below as an example). If you cannot or will not present your case in an intelligent, cohesive and organized manner then don’t waste your time getting into a debate with me.
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>>Source Data<<
What is Medicare? Medicare comes in different “parts.” There’s Medicare Part A and Part B, which together make up Original Medicare, the government-run health-care program for seniors and certain disabled individuals. There’s Medicare Part C, available through Medicare Advantage plans, which is an alternative to the federal program. There’s also Medicare Part D, or prescription drug coverage. Besides these “parts” of Medicare, there are Medicare Supplement plans, which help with certain out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. (1)
What is Medicare Part A? Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. This covers benefits like: Hospital services, Limited skilled nursing facility care, Hospice care, Limited home health services, Inpatient mental health services (1)
Most people get Medicare Part A without having to pay a premium if they’ve worked at least 10 years (40 quarters) under Medicare-covered employment. If you don’t have enough work history to qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A, you can also qualify through your spouse’s work history. Or you can pay a monthly premium for it, with the amount varying depending on the number of work quarters you have. (1)
Medicare Part A doesn’t cover all costs. You’ll still need to pay for costs like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. The amounts may vary depending on how long you’re in the hospital or nursing facility and need care. (1)
What is Medicare Part B? Medicare Part B is medical insurance. This part of Medicare covers certain outpatient services, such as: Preventive services and screenings, Doctor appointments, including yearly wellness exams, Lab tests, X-rays, Certain vaccinations, Ambulance services, Limited home health care, Outpatient mental health services, Durable medical equipment, such as walkers, canes, Certain prescription drugs administered to you in an outpatient setting (1)
Unlike Medicare Part A, Part B always comes with a monthly premium. Your premium amount may depend on: When you enrolled in Medicare Part B, Whether you’re currently receiving retirement benefits, Whether you’re billed directly for your premiums, Whether you get both Medicare and Medicaid, Whether the modified adjusted gross income on your tax return from two years ago is above a certain amount.* (1)
*If you make above a certain income, you may have to pay an additional amount known as an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). This is on top of the standard monthly Part B premium amount. For more information on the Medicare Part B premium, visit Medicare.gov. (1)
Medicare Part B comes with an annual deductible, which is $185 in 2019. After reaching the deductible, you’ll typically pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most Part B-covered services and durable medical equipment. (1)
What is Medicare Part C? Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, is an alternative way to get your Original Medicare benefits. Instead of getting your Medicare benefits through the federally administered program, you can get them through a Medicare Advantage plan, which is available through Medicare-approved private insurance companies. There are several types of Medicare Advantage plans, and two of the most popular types, HMOs and PPOs, work similarly to health plans you may have had through an employer. (1)
Medicare Advantage plans are required to offer at least the same level of coverage as Original Medicare, Part A and Part B (except for hospice care). However, one key difference between Medicare Part C and Original Medicare is that some Medicare Advantage plans may include benefits that go beyond the federal program. For example, Medicare Advantage plans may cover routine vision or dental care, hearing, wellness programs, or prescription drugs. These benefits aren’t normally covered by Medicare Part A and Part B, although Original Medicare beneficiaries can get prescription drug coverage through a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. (1)
Just as Medicare Part C benefits can vary by plan, costs may be different as well. For example, all Medicare Advantage plans have a yearly maximum out-of-pocket limit (the amount may vary by plan). Once your out-of-pocket costs (including the deductible) have reached the limit for your Medicare Advantage plan, the plan pays for 100% of covered costs for the rest of the year. Original Medicare doesn’t have a maximum spending limit, meaning there’s no ceiling on your out-of-pocket medical costs, no matter how high they may get. (1)
If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may have to pay a separate premium for your Medicare Part C coverage. Some Medicare Advantage plans may have premiums as low as $0. If your service area offers a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 premium, remember to consider other costs you may have apart from the premium, such as copayments or deductibles. Also, remember that you’ll need to keep paying the Medicare Part B premium, in addition to any premium your Medicare Advantage plan may have. (1)
What is Medicare Part D? Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. If you’re enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, this coverage isn’t automatically included. You’re covered for certain prescription drugs you get in an inpatient or outpatient setting, but you’ll need to enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for coverage of most other medications. (1)
You can also enroll in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan and have all of your Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D benefits covered under one plan. You may prefer this option if you like the simplicity of managing all of your Medicare coverage through a single plan. Keep in mind that not every Medicare Advantage plan covers prescription drugs, so make sure the plan you’re considering does if you’re interested in this benefit. (1)
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan and want prescription drug coverage, you’ll typically get this benefit through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription coverage. You shouldn’t enroll in both a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan. (1)
Medicare Part D comes with certain costs. You’ll usually pay a monthly premium for your Medicare prescription drug coverage unless you qualify for Extra Help, a program that helps low-income beneficiaries with certain Part D costs. You may also have copayments and coinsurance costs when you fill prescriptions. Each Medicare plan that covers prescription drugs sets different costs for covered medications, so it’s a good idea to shop around and compare plan options to get your prescription drugs covered at the lowest cost. To find out if a specific Medicare plan covers your medications, check the formulary, which is a list of prescription drugs covered by the plan. Keep in mind that formularies can change at any time. Your Medicare plan will notify you if there’s been a formulary change. (1)
What are Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans? Medicare Supplement plans are another coverage option you may have as a Medicare beneficiary. Also known as Medigap, these plans work alongside Original Medicare coverage to help with certain coverage gaps that you’re normally responsible for paying out of pocket. (1)
Unlike other types of Medicare coverage, these plans don’t provide stand-alone benefits. You’ll need to stay enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, for your hospital and medical insurance and to be eligible for a Medigap plan. Instead, Medicare Supplement coverage helps with certain out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare doesn’t pay for, such as copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and emergency overseas coverage. Please note that Medicare Supplement plans can’t be used to pay for costs you may have with a Medicare Advantage plan. (1)
(1) https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/medicare/resources/what-is-medicare
(1a) https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/cms/medicare/index.html
(2) https://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/11579-medicare-costs.pdf
(3) https://www.mymedicarematters.org/costs/part-d/
(4) https://www.statista.com/statistics/200962/percentage-of-americans-covered-by-medicare/
(5) https://www.multpl.com/united-states-population/table/by-year
(6) https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/index.html
(7) https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-part-d-donut-hole-will-end-in-2019/
(8) https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/cms/medicare/index.html
(9) https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/tcja-increasing-share-households-paying-no-federal-income-tax
(10) https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-are-major-federal-payroll-taxes-and-how-much-money-do-they-raise
(11) https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/03/medicare-doesnt-cover-everything-heres-how-to-avoid-surprises.html
(12) https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids
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