Monday, June 6, 2011

Why an $8K Medicare Voucher Plan for the Elderly Won't Work

The GOP's plan to do away with Medicare for the elderly and give them $8000 vouchers to purchase health insurance on their own is ridiculous for a couple of reasons. Just listing these Common Sense points below, you can see why the Republican plan won't work, unless we want to deny our aging Baby Boomers health care. After all, the voucher will quickly run out, leaving little for doctor visits and medication.

TOM SAYS:  The cost to my employer for my health care coverage, basic level, for one individual is $12k per year.  The difference between the voucher amount and what an actual plan would cost would have to be made up by the individual.  The GOP thinks that throwing seniors out into the open market, buying their own private health care plans, will bring down the cost of health care insurance.  This is debatable. 

  It is also unreasonable for elderly individuals, perhaps in a diminished mental capacity, to be able to shop for their own health care insurance.    We, that are still employed, have full-time human resources people that shop around for the best pricing for health care coverage.  Seniors would now be responsible for doing this themselves under the proposed GOP plan. 

Rob's Observations:

1) For anyone without a job, to buy health insurance, expect to pay out of pocket at least $300/month. That's $3,600 a year.
2) Add in dental insurance and that's another $2,000 a year.  **Now you're up to $5,600.00.**
3) Medication: Seniors often take maintenance medications for controlling diabetes, to maintain their blood pressure, and other necessary drugs due to medical procedures; even WITH a health insurance, these are expensive.
4) Add in regular doctor's visits.
5) Then the variables: Accidents/ Hospital Visits/ Tests  - things like breaking a hip (which happens VERY often), knee replacements, heart attacks, etc.  Now you're WAY over the $8,000.00  - Maybe even past $10k, $20k.** 
6) Now add in Nursing Home Care or Assisted Living Care. Who will help pay for that for our vastly aging Baby Boomers??
This GOP "plan" is no plan at all; it shows no consideration for America's seniors at all.  The things they propose amount to elder abuse. Wake up, America! The GOP doesn't care about seniors, and their children certainly don't have the money to extend coverage to cover their parents' care either.  We need real reform of Medicare, true. But doing away with Medicare altogether and providing $8,000 vouchers is not the answer.

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I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

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