On Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 2:25:44 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 2:11:34 PM UTC-5, Rod Speed wrote:
wrote
Rod Speed wrote
trader_4 wrote
Some would say that everyone should be able to get good insurance at a
reasonable cost, whether they are working or not.

And others with even half a clue know that
Medicare for all makes a lot more sense.

What do you think Medicare is?
A govt single payer health care system which
currently only applys to the elderly.
We pay premiums for Medicare
Nope, you pay a tax for that.
($148.50/month in 2021, more if you were a
high-wage earner). This is on top of all the
Medicare taxes we've paid over the years
But that wouldnt be true if it was universal.
Why would it be any less true if we suddenly added nearly 300 million
to a system that already doesn't pay for itself?
(or on top of current workers' Medicare
taxes if you view it as a Ponzi scheme).
It isnt.
Sure, it's not as expensive as off-the-peg private insurance,
but it might qualify as "good insurance at a reasonable cost".
It isnt insurance, its a govt single payer health care funding system.
No, it's not. Here's what that $148.50/month gets you:

Medicare Part A helps cover hospital expenses such as room, board and other inpatient services, limited stay in a skilled nursing facility, and helps cover hospice care and home-health care.2

Medicare Part B helps cover medical expenses, such as doctor's services, outpatient services and other medical supplies. It also helps cover some occupational and physical therapy services and some home-health care. It also covers some preventive services. Typically, the monthly premium you pay for Medicare Part B is deducted from your Social Security benefits.3

No prescription drug coverage. And it does not cover 100% of the things it _does_
cover. It "helps". It doesn't pay for all.

Take a look at what it covers for in-patient hospital stays:

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-hospital-care

That $1408 deductible probably won't get a person through the first
day of a hospital visit. Good thing the next 59 days are paid for.

And as for regular doctor visits:

Medicare Part B covers 80 percent of the cost of doctor's visits for preventive care and medically necessary services.

Cindy Hamilton

Add to that, many, probably most people on Medicare also have it supplemented with
private insurance that they buy.