Medicare is not free!

A Republican House candidate in Florida wants senior citizens to share the burden of reducing the national budget deficit through cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits.


Webster is a former Florida Senate majority leader and a frontrunner in the Aug. 24 primary.

Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) in 2008 and 2009, of 2.3 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively, amounted to roughly $100 per retiree every month.

"For Webster to propose cuts of $420 per person per month to a program that has served seniors well for so long is an indication that, if he's elected, seniors will be the first ones to suffer," said Tony Fransetta, president of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, in a statement.

If you don't enroll in Medicare when you turn 65, there is a penalty and they take more out of your SS every month - forever. My dad just learned that the hard way. He didn't file for his on time because his birth certificate was MIA and we had some delays getting a replacement.

Then that is the same when a person does not take the Drug Coverage at the time when you sign up for Medicare. As that "fine" also goes on forever~!
I will be paying that extra 18 bucks for each and every month till I am 8 foot under.
Course Anybody at anytime, whether you have insurance whether or not you are on Medicare can Always get 4 dollar scrips at Walmart, Walgreens and a few other places as well.
So IF a person gets close to that "Donut Hole" you can always switch and pay CASH at WM for the same drug as long as it is generic.
Cause once a person get into that donut hole 1,000's of dollars have to be paid out of pocket before the coverage kicks in again.

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Yep Medicare is simply a group 80/20 percent insurance policy for retirees and has been so for decades since its creation. My father paid about $90 a month for his coverage the last few years I helped him find affordable secondary coverage the last few years before he passed away at the age of 75 nine years ago and when my mother reaches Medicare age in a few years her premium will be about $115 a month.

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Not necessarly true. There are at LEAST three that are not covered, and are very, very common maintenance drugs.

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The point of the fine for delaying picking up Part D is to prevent people from not enrolling, buying $4 drugs at Wal-Mart, and then deciding to enroll when they get put on a drug that is $1500 a month.

Most people pay the standard monthly Part B premium of $110.50 in 2010

Beginning in 2011, those Medicare beneficiaries who pay a higher Part B premium, will start to see Part D drug premiums increase as well.

$120.20 in 2011.

Social Security Increase Unlikely For a Second Year!

That is what I've been told..

Each year Medicare goes up not cheap at all.. Here food and everything is going up but not the SS.. It going to make it really rough on others..Checks stay the same while everything goes up..

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There is lots of meds you can not get covered by Medicare at all. My family member gets a booklet every year an it has a list of meds that is covered then there is a lot of meds that isn't covered by Medicare at all.. Even if a person gets a secondary coverage there is still meds that will not be covered and is very high in price..

The meds that isn't covered it really high in price too.

Yes there is the cheaper meds that can cost 4.00 but then again there is other cheaper meds that a person has to pay a cost of 8.00.. Not all meds are 4.00 bucks..

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Too funny! Ask the 20 y/o how long they've paid into the system...well, since 'kids' up to 26 will be under their parents, that's a joke.
65 y/o have paid for...oh...45 YEARS?!?! 45 years with NO benefits. Just so when you are in your last years you'll have 80/20 hospital ins. Yeah, what a steal. Ask the average 65 y/o if its FULL COVERAGE at that price...

Sorry, you have a common misconception about this.

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PATT and a few others it is not "funny" I turn 70 here in a few weeks, I have never had health problems till I retired. Well the deductible and what they will pay I would rather have the $100 dollars and stayed on self pay as I have most of my life. AND the FUN for us old people is just begining with the "CHANGE". America needs to wakeup there never has and never will be anything "FREE" unless you are an illegal. YES I'M upset with our leaders!
Glenn

I don't know what kind of Medicare coverage my grandparents or parents had, but none of the four were on "regular" medications of any kind. My mother was on medications at the time of her death at 77 but that was only for something like 4 months, after she was diagnosed with bone cancer.

My father, grandfather and grandmother all died in their late 80s and none of them were on any kind of prescription medications.

I'm getting close to 70 and am not on any regular medications except for OTC allergy medications.

Ya tell me about it.
I am not on any class 4 drugs right now for my severe RA because most of those are not covered.
I may go on one that is given by IV and even then I have to get permission if Humana wants to pay for it.

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Not to mention the deductible when you have to use it!

Well, I see it like trying to play a game without knowing the rules. Several months after I signed up for & received Medicare A & B, I received a booklet called "Medicare & You 2010." It is in big print & I'm thankful for it, yet I find it hard to understand in some sections. As far as the changes to this system, most are coming in the next few yrs. Now, I pay more on insurance, with Medicare premium and Supplemental, than I did before I had Medicare. Now I have to meet two deductibles and so far, I don't think I'm any better off.

Our Medicare is about 97.00 a month-times 2 for hubby and I. Our Supplemental is 178. for his 167. for mine. Plus our part D is 33.00 a month each.
That totals over 600. a month
really gripes me when ppl gripe about our " free, welfare" system.
Oh--and its no raise on S.S till after 2012.

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Unless you never go to the doctor I bet medicare would seem a lot cheaper if you had to pay ALL costs out of pocket...relatively minor procedures could bankrupt most folks. I am 25 and doubt I will get any of the benefits that older folks complain about now.

Are the monthly costs the same for everyone or is it based on your benefit? I only get $923 a month. Guess I'd better be looking for a nice bridge to live under when they take my money. On the plus side, I should be able to lose some weight because I won't be able to buy a lot of food.

Nomad

it will be a bigger surprise when you find out that it doesn't pay for much either.

my husband has been on disability (mentally and physically from a car accident) and isn't 65 but has medicare..however..between his medicare premium and his medigap to cover what medicare doesn't pay (being disbaled) is over $400 a month !!!!

We are talking about seniors over 65, not a 20 year old, and it is not full coverage; and getting less as O shifts gears in his socialist steam roller. While I agree we should count our blessings for there are many less fortunate, however many seniors are living solely on SSI. We paid $180 per month for Horizon Blue Cross/Shield traditional plan which was funded by my company with a $500 family, $250 individual deductible. Medicare is $14 per month more, the co-pay is up from $9.60 per visit to $14.80 per visit, and the Medicare deductible is $125 per person. Once Medicare is responsible for payment, somehow the medical costs miraculously seem to double, so of course our costs rise proportionately.
It is not what you have put into Medicare and SSI that counts, because you are and I was paying for someone else who was collecting at that time. Now you are paying for my care, and when you collect SSI, someone else will be paying for it. Personally, I feel we are lucky with what we have, but their are many more who are not. Then again I worked rotating shifts at a highly skilled job for thirty years to earn the lucrative pension and other assets we have.

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I am on the Humana Advantage plan with drugs for $56 more than medicare. I had to have ins card to get $4 prescriptions and one bottle was $78 for 5 pills. No generic. I am waiting to see what the 8 days in hosptial will cost me. Statements are just starting to come in. The 3 that came so far were doctors and that was paid in full. This is my first round with being ill. Yes, I have the booklet and all but not up to trying to figure it out.

Every cut to Humana and they go up. I do not expect to see an increase in SS for 2011. State was too broke to give the senior property tax break this year and I donot expect to see it next year either. And they knock your income down by no interest about being paid on savings if lucky enough to have any left. Getting stompped on all around.