Goodbye ObamaCare

[Canine]

Lee,I agree with everything you said except the part about not being able to fix it.I think we already have a system in place that works well with Medicare.And don't get me started on politicians retirement benefits.It's too early in the day to blow a gasket.

 

[LeeRevell]

Lee,I agree with everything you said except the part about not being able to fix it.I think we already have a system in place that works well with Medicare.And don't get me started on politicians retirement benefits.It's too early in the day to blow a gasket.

It would please me greatly if Medicare were made the standard for everyone.  I have six years to go before I qualify.

 

[rvpopeye]

I have 2 years to go and it will be the first healthcare I have ever had !

 

[flying kurbmaster]

in this day and age you really should be able to go anywhere in the world and be covered by free medicare, I think the only way that will ever happen is to have government run systems like the Europeans, Canadians, NZ and Australians. Agreements like the free trade agreements with free medicare included in them. Legislate companies that cause such large amounts of health problems like the tobacco industrie, soft drink companies, fast food chains, milk and meat producers made to pay a health tax for being allowed to sell such unhealthy products, along with taxing the hell out of them to make them hard to purchase. Ban them completely from advertising while educating people on the possibility of healing through diet. However it is like everyone complaining about no jobs or poorly made stuff and still shopping in places like Wallmart, it is easy to fix but you gotta wanna. There is no wanna so all that will happen after this thread gets locked is we will continue on as we do, the rot will continue, America will continue to burn coal for 1/2 it's electriciy needs, while complaining about how dirty China is, big pharma, gun manufactures, and all others invested in making politicians their puppets, will fund the next President, and have their needs met because they have a lot of wanna. Most of us will just turn into the next drive through gobble a burger, drink a coke and complain about the government between stomach churns and burps,... and the beat goes on, with the help of thinners, laxatives, insulin, Prozac............. continue to feel we have no power, however like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ we have always had the power, (the Wizard) smoke and mirrors, follow the yellow brick road.

 

[Txjaybird]

INSULIN?........REALLY?.........INSULIN?.......WHAT DOES INSULIN HAVE TO DO WITH SAYING GOOD BYE TO OBAMA CARE?   :s   I'M GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS THREAD 'CUZ I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING!       
                                                       TEXAS JBIRD

 

[speedhighway46]

Insurance companies are whores. My insurance thru Aetna after I retired early was $20,000 a year. When I went on Medicare at age 62 my premiums including supplemental, vision and dental, dropped to $2400 a year.

I know what it means to be "insurance poor."

 

[Txjaybird]

INSULIN?........REALLY?.........INSULIN?.......WHAT DOES INSULIN HAVE TO DO WITH SAYING GOOD BYE TO OBAMA CARE?   :s   I'M GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS THREAD 'CUZ I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING!       
                                                       TEXAS JBIRD

WELL I DID GO BACK AND READ EVERY POST.

I WORKED FOR MANY YEARS WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF HEALTH INS.  IF SICK I HAD TO DECIDE IF I WAS STILL ABLE TO WORK.  IF NOT COULD I MISS A DAYS' PAY AND PAY FOR A DR. AND MEDS TOO?  I PRETTY MUCH WORKED WHEN ILL OR TOOK TIME OFF AND SELF MEDICATED WITH OTC MEDS AND RESTED. 

 I CURRENTLY HAVE MEDICARE AND AM GLAD FOR IT...EVEN WHEN I STARTED MEDICARE THERE WAS NO PRESCRIPTION COVERAGE.  ANY TIME I WAS GIVEN A NEW SCRIP I ASKED FOR SAMPLES...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANTIBIOTICS USUALLY  NO SAMPLES=NO MEDS  

 IN THE BEGINNING MY SSD WAS $680 A MO. AND I REMEMBER ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION NOT EVEN HAVING THE $$ FOR A LOAF OF BREAD.  I'M NOT ONLY GLAD TO HAVE MEDICARE    I'M GLAD THAT I CAN AFFORD IT AND MULTI GRAIN BREAD INSTEAD OF PLAIN CHEAP WHITE BREAD...WHICH  I HAVE TO  HAVE FOR BOLOGNA & SALAMI SAMWITCHES.

                                                                           JEWELLANN

 

[BobOso]

Vic has Medicare and I have VA coverage.We are both very satisfied with our healthcare.I would have no objection to closing VA healthcare and putting everyone on medicare.It is obviously a much better run system.This is a good discussion to have since we will all be needing medical care sooner or later.Maybe some more folks could jump in here.

I've had both good luck and bad with the VA system, currently been trying for 3 years for pain treatments, my appointment was finally granted in December 2015 for August 2016. Made an appointment through Tri-West for outside care that the VA would pay for, but was jerked around with that also

 

[Dennis]

I have been in the VA health care system for a number of years and pretty soon I will be eligible for Medicare. Had been thinking it would be better (for me) but beginning to wonder if it will be. I know what the VA has been like but no experience with Medicare or Medicaid either. For the most part my experience with VA has been mostly good other than a few irritations along the way.
There has been a lot of problems reported with the VA I am aware. What is it like being on Medicare? From what I read it is mostly HMO in at least Texas or if you can get PPO the premiums are higher. Fewer providers that want to deal with it and long waits I have read. I'm guessing that will vary as with VA.
My health care with VA has been low/no cost. I get minimum of a yearly checkup with Dr. visit, lab, x-ray(s) ekg, regular medications, phone or online communication with nurse. If anything comes up I get an appointment to discuss it with my Dr. I have also had two cataract surgeries, one of them outside the network. And a couple of colonoscopys outside the network.
Since I have no experience with Medicare, could it be to MY advantage to be in the system and deal with whatever it costs...based on what health issues come up? If not for the VA it would be a no brainer. Am I overlooking something?

 

[Gunny]

I have been in the VA health care system for a number of years and pretty soon I will be eligible for Medicare.  Had been thinking it would be better (for me) but beginning to wonder if it will be.  I know what the VA has been like but no experience with Medicare or Medicaid either. For the most part my experience with VA has been mostly good other than a few irritations along the way.
There has been a lot of problems reported with the VA I am aware.  What is it like being on Medicare?  From what I read it is mostly HMO in at least Texas or if you can get PPO the premiums are higher. Fewer providers that want to deal with it and long waits I have read.  I'm guessing that will vary as with VA.      
 My health care with VA has been low/no cost. I get minimum of a yearly checkup with Dr. visit, lab, x-ray(s) ekg,  regular medications, phone or online communication with nurse. If anything comes up I get an appointment to discuss it with my Dr.  I have also had two cataract surgeries, one of them outside the network. And a couple of colonoscopys outside the network.
Since I have no experience with Medicare, could it be to MY advantage to be in the system and deal with whatever it costs...based on what health issues come up?   If not for the VA it would be a no brainer. Am I overlooking something?

Dennis, I opted out of Medicare since I do about the same as you. I have a routine at the VA and while it's nowhere near perfect it serves me okay. Some clinics are slow, ENT took me 6 months, but for the most part they do okay. Saves some cash to. If you decide to opt out you have to send in a form that they will mail you. You can opt back in at certain times, I don't know when they are but nothing is permanent.

 

[Gunny]

Dennis, I should add I still have my Medicare card for hospitalization, but that doesn't cost anything.

 

[anewbiewannabe]

Dennis, I think the enrollment period is around now. If it were me I would keep the VA for this year and have the Medicare like Gunny. No telling what this coming year is going to bring to Medicare and Medicaid. In my area finding physicians covered by my provider is not very easy---have to go to the big city. There's only 1 GP nearby that's covered that accepted new patients when I had to get a new GP. I haven't looked yet to see if there's a way to check out what physicians are available under a provider without being a member since my specialist accepts my provider and that's what matters most to me.

 

[Dennis]

Gunny....I got the form and medicare card in the mail recently. I have a little time to go one way or the other I think. The main thing as far as premium goes is the late penalty (forever) for not signing up when first eligible. Looks like I am already enrolled unless I opt out soon.

anewbiewannabe..... That's what I hear about available physicians under the plans in area networks. Then in order for the ones that accept medicare to make it worthwhile it seems it would be get all patients in and out as quickly as possible. Kind of like the VA. Yes, it's a tossup what might happen with healthcare options. I will probably keep VA as primary as long as I have that option.

 

[Gunny]

Dennis, they charged me the premium for two months until my form got into the system then they refunded both months since I had not used anything. It's a personal choice but when I tried to get a second opinion (on my dime) about an operation they were planning for me I was still going to wait two months.

 

[Dennis]

Gunny, are you saying an appointment with a Medicare doctor for a check and second opinion would have been a two month wait? Or another doctor?

 

[Gunny]

another doctor that did cardio-version. I can access all my records on my healthevet, but I suspect all is not written there. It was a doctor I was going to pay cash for a consult. Too many hoops to jump thru.

My Cardio-version dr. is staff at Southwestern Med School and he and I do not like each other. At all. I was a bit worried about him doing the procedure. I am no expert on the va, been dealing with them since I retired and for a long time it was an adversarial relationship. Sorry if not being clear, took my sleep potion.

Rob

 

[blars]

My parents use medicare+tricare. tricare is from my dad's navy retirement, and much better than most medicare supplements.

 

[Wanderer]

in this day and age you really should be able to go anywhere in the world and be covered by free medicare, I think the only way that will ever happen is to have government run systems like the Europeans, Canadians, NZ and Australians. Agreements like the free trade agreements with free medicare included in them. Legislate  companies that cause such large amounts of health problems like the tobacco industrie, soft drink companies, fast food chains, milk and meat producers made to pay a health tax for being allowed to sell such unhealthy products, along with taxing the hell out of them to make them hard to purchase.  Ban them completely from advertising while educating people on the possibility of healing through diet. However it is like everyone complaining about no jobs or poorly made stuff and still shopping in places like Wallmart, it is easy to fix but you gotta wanna. There is no wanna so all that will happen after this thread gets locked is we will continue on as we do, the rot will continue, America will continue to burn coal for 1/2 it's electriciy needs, while complaining about how dirty China is, big pharma, gun manufactures, and all others invested in making politicians their puppets, will fund the next President, and have their needs met because they have a lot of wanna. Most of us will just turn into the next drive through gobble a burger, drink a coke and complain about the government between stomach churns and burps,... and the beat goes on, with the help of thinners, laxatives, insulin, Prozac.............  continue to feel we have no power, however like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ we have always had the power, (the Wizard) smoke and mirrors, follow the yellow brick road.

Nothing says USA like forcing people to do what one person says they should do. Instead of letting people have a choice in their life.

 

[slynne]

Health care is one of the things which worries me the most about giving up my current life and going on the road. I am pretty sure I can keep my job and thus, my health coverage but what if I can't. I have skills such that I could easily earn enough money to live but am worried that I won't be able to afford coverage on my own. I guess I will hope that my job will let me work remotely.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Health care is one of the things which worries me the most about giving up my current life and going on the road. I am pretty sure I can keep my job and thus, my health coverage but what if I can't. I have skills such that I could easily earn enough money to live but am worried that I won't be able to afford coverage on my own. I guess I will hope that my job will let me work remotely.

I don't think anyone should make any decisions based on healthcare as it exists now.  In a years time, we'll all have a much better idea of the way healthcare will work after the new administration comes into power.