Does anyone know anyone who is unhappy at having gone from private insurance to Medicare?

[Stinky The Clown]

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I'm looking forward to it myself.

My ophthalmologist suggested that I wait until next year when I'm 65 to get the cataracts removed from my eyes since Medicare will pay for it 100% while our private insurance only covers 80%. It'll be great to be able to see again without halos and double vision.

[DURHAM D]

2. I assume you are aware that once people move to Medicare -

they buy two private insurance policies. One to cover the deductibles and the 20% Medicare does not cover and another policy to cover medicine given that Medicare pays zero for that.

[NV Whino]

4. Yes, and it's still cheaper than the shit policy I had previously

I had a medical disaster last year. Without medicare, I would be on the streets with a tin cup.

[MindandSoul]

13. Yes, but instead of paying up to $1,000 a month for their insurance

They only pay between $40 and $150, depending on their age and the kind of "additional" coverage they select!
And. . .the "med insurance" is only about $40.00 per month AND the gap will slowy disappear over the next 10 years. . .In the mean time, my husband who just made it to the "gap" in October (because of increased need for medication as he is aging) just received a very nice $250.00 check in the mail to help cover at least part of the gap!

But. . .none of my Republicans neighbors, who are so happy to vote to repeal the Obama health care bill, will NEVER tell you they got that check. . .although I KNOW that they have reached the gap and HAVE RECEIVED THAT CHECK!

[Stinky The Clown]

16. Yes.

[REP]

3. I'm not that thrilled but I had group with no pay in prior; still have group and 2 pay ins

My group keeps my Rx costs down; I have a couple of very serious chronic diseases and take 10 Rxs daily. That adds up quickly. I'm a disabled retiree; I used to pay no premiums; now I pay Medicare (I pay at the highest tier) plus part of my group premium. So yes, for me, it's not as good as what I had.

[Turbineguy]

5. My Mother likes it.

but votes repub. She gets her pension in Euro's and Bush doubled her income by making the rest of us worth half.

[Bitwit1234]

6. Now I have Medicare and it is a good thing I also have private insurance.

Before I went to Medicare, I had BC/BS and a good policy thru the state I worked with. I had no copay and my prescription policy only charged me 3 dollars a prescription. After I retired and had to take Medicare I went to no prescription plan, and that deductible. Fortunately I had my state retirement insurance also and still got the benefits of that and Medicare. So I did have it better with private insurance and it didn't cost me as much. My state made us take Medicare when we retired and we get a reduced rate for our insurance. That is mostly the difference. I am lucky. I pay 97 dollars a month for Medicare and then 96 dollars all told for health insurance, prescription and dental thru my state insurance. It is almost 200 dollars a month but it is a heck of a lot better than what some people pay. I still have no copay and my prescriptions when from 3 dollars for a 30 day supply to 5 dollars for a 45 day supply so all told everything is just as good as 30 years ago. As I said I am extremely lucky. With all my operations and chemo and radiation and medicine I did not have to pay one cent. And if makes me mad to no end that there are a lot of people in this country that do not have access to the type of insurance I have. When I think of the cost of treatment for other breast patients I get so upset I cry.

[stray cat]

7. My mom is staying under her husbands insurance through work as the coverage is much better

[DURHAM D]

15. She is still on medicare.

They just are not told that they are. The company enrolled her and Medicare is the first payer.

Lot of people who work for a company that provides benefits after 65 don't realize they are on it. Don't know why they keep it a secret. I argued with my over 65 brother about this for 3 years before he finally asked his company. He was pissed because he felt it made him look stupid not to know.

[pgodbold]

8. I went from a HMO to Medicare. Amazing.. I don't have to fight to get certain meds approved.

Medicare is much much better AND the HMO was over $1000 a month just for me only.

[iamtechus]

12. My wife and I went from an HMO to Medicare when I retired last year.

It was definitely a change for the better. I always had the impression that the HMO doctors were working for big pharma and the insurance company. Now the doctor works for us and if we want to see a specialist we don't have to go to someone in the HMO network.

The HMO doctors had ignored problems that I had for years. If I didn't complain about a problem, it didn't exist.

[HockeyMom]

9. My school district insurance is $159 a month (employee)

with a $3,000 deductible. I am 62. Looking forward to Medicare, except that I am planning to leave Florida next Summer. ALL health insurance is so much better in NYS.

[Donnachaidh]

10. I've had Medicare alone and much prefer having private insurance as my primary

In my area it's hard to find doctors who will take Medicare alone. We just recently got private insurance thru DH's job and it's been far easier finding doctors and getting things done. While Medicare might work well for some, there are areas in this country where doctors won't see patients with just that.

It's annoying to be paying almost 100 a month and not being able to use it. :shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. You know my last memory of private insurance is over 15 years old

Actually older than that.

Have had Tricare since I married. As is I and hubby are uninsurable but our care with Tricare has been excellent.

[w8liftinglady]

14. i can only speak for myself

my med bills have been in excess of 250K since jan,and Aetna has paid all but 3K.I had some of the best specialists in the nation,as well as two excellent IM docs.the doctors that are able to take Medicare in my area are dropping due to reduced reimbursement.It was very tough for my mom to find a PCP.She also has a supplemental policy.medicare needs to reimburse at a higher rate-which I see happening with universal health care...if it will only happen.

[eridani]

17. DH has Medicare and I have a shitty individual catastrophic plan

I want what he has, no question.

[deaniac21]

18. The problem is that medicare is going to be taking cut after cut

from now on.

[unhappycamper]

19. My insurance bill went from $479 a month (SNK) to under $190 a month.

That's change I can believe in.

[old mark]

20. My wife has Medicare for disability for over 10 years now, and has private insurance

to cover what Medicare does not...the private policy is very cheap and there has seldom been a problem with either one.

We must also IMPROVE Medicare so that the private additional insurance is not needed, which means reducing 'publican influence in government to the point where Democrats don't fe3el threatened by the GOP scarecrow.


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