I don't understand Bernie's Medicare for all

[still_one]

7. I think a good number of folks here don't understand how Medicare works. Currently we pay into

Last edited Thu Sep 14, 2017, 01:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Medicare through our social security taxes, and are able to collect when we turn 65. However, that coverage is for Part A. Part B coverage essentially is for outpatient coverage, and the premium for that starts at around 107/month/person. However coverage is not 100%, and for the services NOT covered that is why people buy a supplemental policy which also requires a premium. Depending on how comprehensive and flexible coverage one wants, a supplemental premium can cost anywhere from 100, 200, and up per month, per person.

Then depending, a prescription drug plan will include an additional premium.

Some of those costs can be reduced with an Advantage Plan, which may also add more services covered, but usually they are less flexible, and limit where you can go.

So if as Sanders indicates that premiums would go away, that would only mean that the premiums one pays for Part B, Part D, and supplemental would need to be funded from another source, and the only answer to that is through increased taxes.

What needs to be detailed is how the distribution of services would be allocated, what the reimbursement of those services would be to the healthcare provider would be, and what services would be allowed, and what services would not be allowed. That will determine how much the tax increase would be.

If we look at those collecting Medicare today, here are what their premium costs are without a supplemental:

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/costs-at-a-glance/costs-at-glance.html

Here are the premiums costs for a drug plan:

https://www.medicare.gov/part-d/costs/premiums/drug-plan-premiums.html

Supplemental or Medigap premiums can very widely, but they can vary from 100 to 200 dollars or even higher per month

https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/staticpages/learn/how-insurance-companies-price-policies.aspx

If the cost for reimbursement of services are too low, more healthcare providers would not accept Medicare assignment. If the reimbursement of services are too high, the system would have problems sustaining itself.

If Medicare for all would cover everyone, would the government assume the role as the insurance company, how would that be run?

Vermont presented a Single Payer bill had all three branches of its state government supporting it, including the governor, but when the bill finally came to his desk for a signature, he vetoed it because he determined the state couldn't afford it.

The California legislatures has a similar single payer bill, but the Speaker put it on hold because the details on how the services would be distributed, and where the funding would come from, and how much it would be wasn't provided.

Ironically, many of those self-identified progressives who refused to vote for the Democratic nominee, and undermined the Democratic party through many outlets, contributed to the republicans controlling the WH and Congress, which effectively made the prospects of Medicare for All a virtual impossibility in this environment. There is no doubt that if we had the WH, and the Senate, this would have at the very least been an active discussion with a real possibility of moving in that direction. There is no way I can see that happening in the next 4 years. Even if trump left office before his term was up, the order of succession is two more hardcore republicans before a Democrat would even get a chance.