Congress Looking at Limiting Medigap Options

[cadylou]

I posted this today about the hearing yesterday on fixing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment problem. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Health insurance and Medicare updates

 

[somarco]

My opinion is Congress has their head up their backside. Seniors that buy first dollar plans (F, G and even N) do so for budget reasons, not so they can spend more time in the doctors office reading old magazines with a bunch of sick people.

 

[sman]

Time to send letters and make phone calls to our reps in the House and Senate. May not even be a bad idea to notify all of our clients and give them a call to action to contact their reps as well. Remember, the senior population votes.

 

[cadylou]

Time to send letters and make phone calls to our reps in the House and Senate. May not even be a bad idea to notify all of our clients and give them a call to action to contact their reps as well. Remember, the senior population votes.

I may do exactly that - ask my clients to write in & call. This topic keeps coming back every couple of years or so - the notion of dropping first dollar coverage. Although - more alarming is the suggestion that we do away with Medigap entirely & simply have a max out o pocket amount of $7500. Annually that could really kill lower to middle income people if they got sick. I think it's appalling that they're making these decisions in "hearings" that the public knows nothing about . . . . .

 

[axeman462]

ok, so what do yall propose we do to fix the deficit problem? If making changes to Medicare is off the table because it will hurt your business, then where do we make the cuts?

 

[GreenSky]

ok, so what do yall propose we do to fix the deficit problem? If making changes to Medicare is off the table because it will hurt your business, then where do we make the cuts?

Well, let's see.

How about we stop nation building?
How about we tighten welfare, both personal and corporate?
How about we have a 2 party system?
Get rid of Medicare entirely and go to vouchers?
Privatize social security (and damn near everything else)
Stop paying for worthless programs - war on drugs, war on poverty, head start, etc.?
Respect the Constitution?
Stop allowing the Supreme Court to make laws?
Crony capitalism?

You want more?

Eliminate personal income tax and force a balanced budget.

Rick

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

Well, let's see.

How about we stop nation building?
How about we tighten welfare, both personal and corporate?
How about we have a 2 party system?
Get rid of Medicare entirely and go to vouchers?
Privatize social security (and damn near everything else)
Stop paying for worthless programs - war on drugs, war on poverty, head start, etc.?
Respect the Constitution?
Stop allowing the Supreme Court to make laws?
Crony capitalism?

You want more?

Eliminate personal income tax and force a balanced budget.

Rick

Racist................

 

[sman]

ok, so what do yall propose we do to fix the deficit problem? If making changes to Medicare is off the table because it will hurt your business, then where do we make the cuts?

Seriously? You think charging those who have a Medicare Supplement an extra fee will fix the deficit? Hell, all our government would do with the extra money is find another place to spend it. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report from 2010, 23% of Medicare recipients have a Medicare Supplement. I'm willing to bet my MAPD clients utilize their coverage more than my Med Supp clients as a whole.

How about Congress just quit kicking the can down the road on the "doc fix"? That might be a good place to start in regard to Medicare.

 

[cadylou]

ok, so what do yall propose we do to fix the deficit problem? If making changes to Medicare is off the table because it will hurt your business, then where do we make the cuts?

Getting rid of first dollar coverage or even getting rid of Medicare supplements entirely won't do a thing to reduce the deficit, so these proposals on the table have no merit at all. it's another case of Congress "nibbling at the edges" to make it look like they are actually doing something, when all they are doing is limiting personal choice around the current system. It offers nothing in terms of "reigning in Medicare costs" . . . .They really need to address the actual cost of care in this country - not insurance around it. Obamacare is a great example of nothing to contain costs, but monkeying around just with the insurance. Now I get to pay double what I was paying before for a plan that I self fund! But - I have maternity coverage that I don't need . . . .guess I should count my blessings? . . . .

 

[GreenSky]

Seriously? You think charging those who have a Medicare Supplement an extra fee will fix the deficit? Hell, all our government would do with the extra money is find another place to spend it. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report from 2010, 23% of Medicare recipients have a Medicare Supplement. I'm willing to bet my MAPD clients utilize their coverage more than my Med Supp clients as a whole.

How about Congress just quit kicking the can down the road on the "doc fix"? That might be a good place to start in regard to Medicare.

Problem solved. We can end the deficit by pulling your insurance license.

Rick

----------

Now I get to pay double what I was paying before for a plan that I self fund! But - I have maternity coverage that I don't need . . . .guess I should count my blessings? . . . .

You should be grateful to help others pay for insurance with your increased premiums and soon to be increased taxes and inflation.

Rick