Medicare, what are your priorities? Stinky The Clown

[CC27]

Stinky The Clown (63,445 posts)


Medicare, what are your priorities?

There are these discussions going on about expanding Medicare. Adding dental, vision, and maybe hearing. Lowering the age from 65 to 60.

We all know there is little chance of all of that getting done any time soon. So put it in some priority order.

For me it is lowering the age of eligibility. After that, in order, are dental, vision, then hearing. Everyone needs dental care. Many of us wear glasses, fewer of us need hearing aids.

How do you rank them?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215899107

Medicare is broke. They have no priorities.

[67 Rover]

I would like to keep my doctor.

[Muddling 2]

Medicare is broke. They have no priorities.

I'd recommend expanding the availability of tax-free medical savings accounts; let the end user see the actual cost of the services they're requesting and shop for value.  Medicare/Medicaid have never paid the actual cost of the services they 'cover'; there's always been cost-shifting to private insurance/payers.

[Old n Grumpy]

stop giving it to those who don't deserve it and clean up the fraud.

[franksolich]

There's an obvious difference in what the sparkling old dude and franksolich think what needs done about Medicare.

To save Medicare, either benefits need cut or taxes need increased.

The sparkling old dude apparently thinks Medicare needs expanded, and so taxes increased, the usual Democrat "solution."

To save Medicare, franksolich believes benefits and recipients need cut, so as to not impose a greater burden on the already-overburdened taxpayers.

--Medicare only for those who paid into the system.
--no expansion of benefits
--means testing for Medicare.

I'm reluctant to suggest means testing, but one has to agree this is a matter of some urgency.  What should be the limit on receiving benefits?

The sparkling husband primitive enjoys a standard of living somewhat above the average--and would do even better if he hadn't been stuck with paying alimony to his first wife, whom he dumped in favor of his much younger trophy now-wife.

So I suggest that whatever the level of income the sparkling old dude has, minus $1, be the cut-off point for Medicare benefits.

This may sound cruel, but remember, the sparkling husband primitive voted all his life for politicians having no compunction about giving away other people's money, so I suggest we all give away some of his.

[Delmar]

Response to Stinky The Clown (Original post)Mon Sep 27, 2021, 01:07 PM
Star Member NurseJackie (41,034 posts)
12. At one of the "People's Party" rallies some one wanted PETS to be included.

(I think it was the "People's Party" ... but in fairness, it might have been one of the other fringe/kooky groups too.)

Farther down in the thread there is a video of the guy who wants Medicare to cover his dog. 

[Muddling 2]

There's an obvious difference in what the sparkling old dude and franksolich think what needs done about Medicare.

To save Medicare, either benefits need cut or taxes need increased.

The sparkling old dude apparently thinks Medicare needs expanded, and so taxes increased, the usual Democrat "solution."

To save Medicare, franksolich believes benefits and recipients need cut, so as to not impose a greater burden on the already-overburdened taxpayers.

--Medicare only for those who paid into the system.
--no expansion of benefits
--means testing for Medicare.

I'm reluctant to suggest means testing, but one has to agree this is a matter of some urgency.  What should be the limit on receiving benefits?

The sparkling husband primitive enjoys a standard of living somewhat above the average--and would do even better if he hadn't been stuck with paying alimony to his first wife, whom he dumped in favor of his much younger trophy now-wife.

So I suggest that whatever the level of income the sparkling old dude has, minus $1, be the cut-off point for Medicare benefits.

This may sound cruel, but remember, the sparkling husband primitive voted all his life for politicians having no compunction about giving away other people's money, so I suggest we all give away some of his.

First, require Medicare/Medicaid to pay the full cost of any service or procedure that they "cover".  That's the only way to get a true accounting of the cost of the program. 

Means testing is quite likely going to have to come into being, the Devil will be in the Details.  The bar will have to be set high enough that people who've tried to plan for retirement under the current scheme aren't suddenly facing financial ruin.