Joco Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Funding SS and Medicare won't be that hard to fix. Take the annual cap of what is paid in off and have a means test. Someone receiving $100,000 a year in pension and other income doesn't need SS retirement income. He doesn't need Medicare or have Medicare kick in at the point a certain amount is billed in medical expenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 People who contribute get their money out, it is not the government´s money to do as it pleases. I wonder why Europe and Canada can cope with social medecine and social security type system and the US cannot. The US citizen get a lousy return on their money when it comes to health care and the cost of health care is through the roof ..why can´t the system be fixed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 People who contribute get their money out, it is not the government´s money to do as it pleases. I wonder why Europe and Canada can cope with social medecine and social security type system and the US cannot. The US citizen get a lousy return on their money when it comes to health care and the cost of health care is through the roof ..why can´t the system be fixed So far, it looks like the answer is: lobbies. Follow the money. As long as the funds flow, who is really interested in cost cutting? There is an interesting documentary on Netflix called "the Widowmaker" pertaining to heart disease and pointing the finger at the individuals and corporations who are more interested in charging huge bills to (whoever) for procedures like putting in stents, while not covering an effective preventive diagnostic test at all. A real eye opener. One of the worst offenders is the drug company lobbies: millions of people are prescribed certain costly drugs, only to have the worst side effects revealed several years later. The latest in the news this last week is statins. Mental impairment? awww, just another small side effect. Time to end this tirade, but a small piece of advice to any and all for whom drugs are prescribed for any condition: Look up that drug. We have a grand source of information at our fingertips. Consider the side effects and any possible alternative and/or less intrusive way to handle things. Ask questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumofabit Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 ...and all for whom drugs are prescribed for any condition: Look up that drug. We have a grand source of information at our fingertips. Consider the side effects and any possible alternative and/or less intrusive way to handle things. I hate that many of my drug's side effects for not taking them is death. I will trust the A.M.A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 I hate that many of my drug's side effects for not taking them is death. I will trust the A.M.A. Cute way to put it, but for many of the drugs, there are other less intrusive ways to treat the problem. I don't trust any large lobbying group, including and especially the A.M.A., but that's just my take on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bowie Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Cute way to put it, but for many of the drugs, there are other less intrusive ways to treat the problem. I don't trust any large lobbying group, including and especially the A.M.A., but that's just my take on the matter. I would like to know what group you trust more to provide the information they provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 I would like to know what group you trust more to provide the information they provide. The Mayo Clinic web site, for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tycobb1020 Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Add all of that up and it exceeds the cost of my private insurance in Mexico. I love the way it works here. You call a specialist on his cell phone and he/she will see you tomorrow or the next day, no waiting weeks and no pre-approval needed. I spend less that $2,400 a year on Medicare and Medigap coverage. At my age I can't come close to that for private insurance and if I could, the deductible would be thousands. No waiting weeks or need for a pre approval. I have my cardiologist's cell phone and email address . . . and I get responses quickly. I believe Mexico has excellent medical care, but for serious medical problems, the economics points to returning to the US and using my Medicare and MediGap benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Our experience exactly. If and when they start really seriously limiting coverage, we'll have to dig into our own pockets to pay for it. We've planned for that eventuality as best we can but who knows what is going to happen to our health and how costly it will be as we age? It's a crap shoot. All I know is I'd hate like heck to have to leave here because of medical issues. RV Gringo has my profound sympathy for having to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tycobb1020 Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 If they do decide to limit coverage, I suspect it will be for the younger set and not those already on the Program. I left for a bit and came back. Received world class care at a world class hospital at minimum cost to me and then returned to Mexico. My US doctors even sent my medical records to my doctor here in Mexico. Best of both worlds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Our experience exactly. If and when they start really seriously limiting coverage, we'll have to dig into our own pockets to pay for it. We've planned for that eventuality as best we can but who knows what is going to happen to our health and how costly it will be as we age? It's a crap shoot. All I know is I'd hate like heck to have to leave here because of medical issues. RV Gringo has my profound sympathy for having to do that. I just read in the financial news that some Medicare members may get a nasty surprise next year. The details were too complex for this brain to sort out. Apparently some people, but not others, will have to pay more. Medical issues are a crap shoot. You just never know if you'll be one of the lucky ones to go out with a "bang" or will have to have long treatments, lots of misery and cost. I feel for RVGringo, too. He really didn't want to leave, and he sounds quite unhappy about where he is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Are you referring to this? http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/26/higher-medicare-costs-seniors-2018/70509950/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Are you referring to this? http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/26/higher-medicare-costs-seniors-2018/70509950/ No, but this article was informative, too. Mine came from the "motley fool" guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumofabit Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 What happened to the thread about widowed spouses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 What happened to the thread about widowed spouses? The answer lies with Gertrude Stein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumofabit Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 The answer lies with Gertrude Stein. Was she a thread hijacker too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Was she a thread hijacker too? It would be in character, wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tycobb1020 Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 I just read in the financial news that some Medicare members may get a nasty surprise next year. The details were too complex for this brain to sort out. Apparently some people, but not others, will have to pay more. Medical issues are a crap shoot. You just never know if you'll be one of the lucky ones to go out with a "bang" or will have to have long treatments, lots of misery and cost. I feel for RVGringo, too. He really didn't want to leave, and he sounds quite unhappy about where he is now. Charging those fortunate people with high income a few bucks more for Medicare coverage has been on the table for years. I doubt most would consider it a nasty surprise. A crap shoot . . . I reckon that's true to a point. However, how one lives his or her life plays an important role in one's health (smoking, excessive drinking, excessive eating, poor food choices etc., etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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