From the standpoint of someone who deals with Medicare and private insurances in his job, I have to say that I wish we could have universal healthcare, or some variation of it as proposed by President Obama, but when I think about what Medicare has already done to US healthcare, I realize the odds of actually coming up with a working alternative are incredibly dismal.
“Medicare pays doctors, nurses, and hospitals
only about 75 cents on the dollar per
procedure.”
That is only part of the problem. Medicare pays 75 cents on the dollar of the price that *they* set as the price of the procedure. Additionally, just to accept Medicare, you have all sorts of extra paperwork and expensive restrictions on your actions, *even on patients who do not have Medicare*. Eventually, you are left with the choice of either taking a loss or not taking Medicare at all… or massively increasing the costs paid by everyone.
I am over 70 and went to the Dr yesterday
and he said I don’t accept medicare. Seems
to me that is like not having medical
insurance.
No, believe me, if you ever have to go through a time without medical insurance, as I did for the ten years after I left the military, you will see the difference. Bad coverage is a world apart from no coverage.
