Health care/insurance observations/changes from when you were a child to raising your children, to now?

Question

How do you feel about Medicare? What are your concerns?

Answer 1

Medicare is a house of cards, it will be out of money in as soon as 4 years. If the federal government keeps cutting payments to doctors as they have done every year to "save "money, Our medicare insurance will get us dropped by the doctors who lose money treating medicare insured patients Then what are 30 million people going to do, go to state hospital clinics for basic care? I had a doctor move 25 miles and I was lucky to be accepted by a doctor. But I was the only medicare patient he accepted. It's now dificult to find any doctor that will take us, So my worry is not getting the insurance, but holding on to a doctor that will accept the insurance.

Answer 2

The one thing I've noticed over the years has been how employers' contributions to health care plans has lessened considerably. In the 60's my employers paid 100% and I never had co-pays or a %age of the premium to pay.

Starting in the late 70's it began to change for me and my co-pays began; I had to give up BC/BS high option family as it became too expensive and I went to an HMO.

On my last 'career' position my non profit paid all of the costs and it was a good plan too. This was their commitment to us and I greatly appreciated it.

I am now on Medicare - so far so good. I have a great PartD prescription plan where my meds costs $2 and a generic coverage of 100% during the gap period.

I met my deductible some time ago on Part B and it was a bit over $100. I have yet to have to use Part A [hospital] - my concerns have to do with cost of Part B that come out of my check....

Answer 3

Well it may be different for those of us in another country. Here in NZ the health care insurance increases dramatically from 60 years of age on. I always had the children insured - and myself, but I have cancelled it now because it is far too expensive. If I had a heart attack or stroke or something urgent, I would be treated in the public system anyway.
The disadvantage would be if I ever needed hip or knee replacement etc., then I would be on a waiting list for years and years. I've decided to take that risk. My ex husband however is staying with it because he has a lot of health problems and is bound to need knee op in the future. Most retired people are exiting the health insurance and still managing to pay for major operations with the money they saved from not paying the insurance for years.

Answer 4

I think we had adequate health care when I was a child if we needed to go to the doctor. Folks didn't seem to go as often then though and weren't on nearly as many medications. When I was raising my child, we had a local clinic that provided good low cost health care and when I worked I had good insurance there.

Now I have no insurance and am not old enough for medicare. There are many people in this situation. My mom is on medicare, but there are still costs and copays she has to pay herself for doctor visits, procedures and medications.

Answer 5

You know, the shortest, most all-encompassing answer I can come up with for this question is that when I was a youth, health care was always all about wellness and healing and caring for the patients. Now, though, it has become a multi-billion-dollar BUSINESS for which health CARE is an assembly-line HMO operation, for which insurance companies get paid exhorbitant amounts to discontinue the policies of those it claims to insure, and money has become the driving force behind almost all health care decision-making in both the private and public arenas.

Our government needs to boot big-money right clean OUTTA THERE when it comes to medical care, especially for seniors and the disabled...and go back to putting the PATIENT as their number-one priority. Doctors used to see you as needed. Now, they dare not exceed the HMO's magical "fifteen minutes" even if you're sitting there with your arm dangling by a thread of sinew. It's reprehensible, the way they delegate seniors and the disabled to the "bone pile" and keep cutting all of our benefits while proclaiming to be "the best in health care" for us. BAH. We're PEOPLE not DOLLARS. Wake up.

Answer 6

The doctor still made house calls up until I was about 18 yrs or so and I think they were more caring and less stressed out by the entire HMO procedure.

Re: Medicare, when I retire will I be able to afford the supplemental for prescriptions, or will there be a new practice by then?

Answer 7

At one time your health insurance was reasonable and covered almost anything, no co-pays! Now the costs are borne by the individual and the insurance covers little except extreme health care.

Answer 8

Believe it or not we are still raising kids one is 12 and one is 13 to many changes from my first three kid that range from 28 to 38. As for medicate and medicare it sucks hope I'm not to plunt. But don't ever think the government is looking out for you.I hope that something good happens to our medical system for the better by the time you retire.Thanks for the questions keep them coming.

Answer 9

i was lucky being my father was in the air force for 20 years. so i didn't have to worry about insurance until the age of 18. then i did without because either it cost to much or my employer didn't offer it. IE cost. so if i was really sick. i just went to the hospital and charged it. i worry about our younger generation and how high health insurance is. i know it's one of the reasons our infant mortality is no better then a third world country,

Answer 10

When I was kid I broke my arm and was rushed off to the Hospital. My parents has to pay the bill and it was about $60. My my child was just feeling some leg pain, she went to the hospital, they took a blood test and gave her a few pain pills. It was over $500.


When I was a kid, my general Dr. would also perform surgery. Nowadays, he would never be able to charge enough to even cover his liability insurance. Too much risk.