David Brittelli
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

I kind of think that people who spout the “Medicare for all” line probably aren’t on Medicare. I am. It’s not inexpensive.

First, there’s Medicare Part A, which has no premium, but only covers hospital stays, and only of two days or more. That’s good, but if you are admitted for only one night or as an outpatient, you pay. And however long you’re there, there’s a $1280 deductible, which you pay. And drugs administered in the hospital aren’t covered. Regular medical expenses aren’t covered, either. For that, there’s Medicare Part B, which has a monthly premium, minimum of $104 at present, which comes off the top of your Social Security check, before you even see it. For the average SS payout of $16,000, that’s about 8% of your SS. Obviously, for the lower half of SS recipients, it’s a larger %age. For that you get 80% of your non-hospital medical expenses covered. If you don’t want to choke down the other 20%, you need Medigap insurance, another $200 a month for a policy which covers everything.

But wait, there’s more! None of this covers prescription drugs. For that, there’s Medicare Part D, which has another monthly premium, and still doesn’t cover everything, and there are some copays, some sizeable.

Add it all up, you’re talking close to $700 a month for you and your spouse just for the insurance, which is close to 1/3 of the average couple’s annual SS benefit of $26,000! Of course, you could opt for a cheaper Medigap plan, but that’s going to have deductibles and copays. You’re going to have to figure out how much risk you’re going to want to take on those expenses vs. the cost of comprehensive part B coverage.

Do you REALLY, literally want Medicare for all? Or do you actually mean something else?

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    David Brittelli

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