Medicare

[Glo]

After 4 long years without health insurance, tomorrow is the day I qualify for medicare. About 13 hours to go; it will be a big relief!

[razz]

Glad that you will have the peace of mind that comes with it.

[citrine]

Congratulations :)

[Lainey]

That is wonderful. I have a sib who will qualify later this year and it will lift a big weight off their shoulders.

[loosechickens]

I absolutely KISSED my Medicare card when I got it, after five years with no insurance at all, after the insurance company tripled my premium at age 60 although I'd never had a claim against it in twelve years (a very high deductible policy).

Those who have employer provided health insurance, or are able to purchase reasonably priced health insurance because they have no pre-existing conditions, health issues, or have not reached some magic age where the insurance companies don't want you, will never know........until it happens to them...........just how badly this country needs comprehensive, universal health insurance coverage for all citizens.

EVERY other western democracy has managed to deal with the problem of covering all their residents. We pay twice or more per capita for health insurance than any of those countries, yet our country is rated below virtually all of them.

Congratulations.

[HappyHiker]

Good for you! Now you can go and have all those wonderful tests!! I just had my first colonoscopy--wasn't bad at all...and briefly, I lost 5 pounds...but can not recommend this procedure as a regular weight loss tool...

[reader99]

I absolutely KISSED my Medicare card when I got it, after five years with no insurance at all, after the insurance company tripled my premium at age 60 although I'd never had a claim against it in twelve years (a very high deductible policy).

Those who have employer provided health insurance, or are able to purchase reasonably priced health insurance because they have no pre-existing conditions, health issues, or have not reached some magic age where the insurance companies don't want you, will never know........until it happens to them...........just how badly this country needs comprehensive, universal health insurance coverage for all citizens.

EVERY other western democracy has managed to deal with the problem of covering all their residents. We pay twice or more per capita for health insurance than any of those countries, yet our country is rated below virtually all of them.

Congratulations.

Amen.

I've had insurance ONE year out of the past 12, and 8 years to go until Medicare.

[Zemma]

I read in Lionel Shriver's book So Much for That that the whole thing of employer funded health insurance started during World War 2 when there were restrictions on how much employers were allowed to pay workers because of shortage of workers. So they started offering additional benefits (like health insurance) to attract workers. And this basically started up the whole health insurance industry. Is that true?

I am asking from a country where not only is there free medical health care, but if you do take out private health insurance (to basically be able to jump the queue and also to access payment for a lot of alternative health treatments) our government subsidises the premiums by 30%. Not means tested.

So I am interested that it is sooooo different over there. Especially if as Shriver tells it, it was almost accidental that it turned out that way?

Edited to add - I think it would be very scarey not to have access to health care. I also think our country should means test the private health insurance subsidy even if they don't want to completely remove it.

[folkypoet]

Congrats!!! That's wonderful! Dreaming of the day.... I haven't had insurance in over ten years (and with a chronic health condition that I'd probably be afraid to have diagnosed, anyway, since I would then have a "pre-existing condition" (treating it with nutrition)). Twenty-nine years, nine months to go before Medicare kicks in (unless they up the age by then). Hopefully, hubby finds a job with good insurance soon. I think I can hear my biological clock ticking.... ;o)

[domestic goddess]

I am also waiting for Medicare. As an employee in the healthcare industry, I don't have access to company-sponsored insurance, which would at least help make the premiums affordable. At my age (60, later this year), and with pre-existing conditions, I don't see affordable insurance in my future before Medicare kicks in. I have some big medical bills to pay, and am able to get routine medical care at a medical clinic run by APPNA which is only open on Saturday mornings. But it is a free clinic, so I'm not complaining, and I am able to handle most things for a few days until they are open. I will obviously be relieved when I have Medicare.

[Aqua Blue]

Another person with high deductible, 5 waiver expensive health insurance, I am 6 .5 years away from having it. I am counting the days.

[larknm]

I[m happy for all who are getting Medicare. Having your life undermined by poor health you can't take care of sucks.

[Zoebird]

you guys are just so damned entitled. just living off the fat and hard work of others. you are useless slackers, living off the welfare teat!

:D

[Greg44]

Despite my white hair -- I have many years to go...our health insurance is our largest single expense we have and we rarely use it...

[puglogic]

you guys are just so damned entitled. just living off the fat and hard work of others. you are useless slackers, living off the welfare teat!

:D

:laff:

[domestic goddess]

I still have more than six years to go before Medicare kicks in. I've tried getting my own insurance, but I do have pre-existing conditions, which are well controlled on medication, so I am either denied or the premiums are so high it just is impossible to do. I was informed of a free clinic that I have been using, and that is working out pretty well, even though it is only open on Sat. mornings. If I were more urgently sick, which I worry about as an asthmatic in flu season, I would probably go and see dd's dr. But I generally don't see a dr.unless I get something I can't manage by myself.