On Dec 9, 2009, at 4:51 PM, Chuck Grimes wrote:
>
> First question I have is: "What does it mean to 'buy in' to medicare?
> Now, people have medicare as a right when they turn 65, so apparently
> the Senate bill supposes some pre-condition or pre-requisite in
> order to
> get into the program. SR
>
> -------------
>
> That's a good question. I suspect (without knowing the details) it
> means
> you can purchase medicare coverage at some rate, probably indexed to
> income.
>
For Social Security recipients aged 65+ Medicare A (hospitalization)
is free of charge. Medicare B (covered non-hospital care) costs about
$100 per month, unrelated to income or previous SocSec taxes paid.
Medicare D (prescription drugs) charges vary depending on company
administering the plan--no extra charge for those in the Medicare
Advantage plan that Obama and the liberals want to do away with. If
that was on offer it would be a great deal, a real step toward
medicare for all, clearly preferable to the pseudo public option in
the House bill. But it ain't. The likely charges per month would be
on the order of $600+ and the only people to be covered
(compulsorily!) would be those presently uninsured.
On 'Health Reform" the Repugnicon "just say no" plan is a vastly lesser evil to the Obamist swindle, not least because it would leave Single Payer as the only politically relevant alternative to the present untenable mess.
Shane Mage
> This cosmos did none of gods or men make, but it
> always was and is and shall be: an everlasting fire,
> kindling in measures and going out in measures."
>
> Herakleitos of Ephesos