On Medicare

A woman sent me a letter saying she wanted to help me select a Medicare “plan.” It sounded like she was after money, but since I will need to enroll in Medicare this year, I called her to learn anything I could. I was shocked and angered at what I learned.

In short, the only thing I can get from Medicare is hospitalization coverage, and even that has a deductible. Everything else – office visits, medicine, dental, eyeglasses – everything – requires a “plan.” In other words, you have to pay for it. The cost for the “plan” is pretty much the same as paying cash to the doctor. Medicaid is a joke. It is only made available based on income level. In my town, you would need to live in your car to qualify for Medicaid.

I began to get upset. I’ve paid FICA taxes my whole working life for this. I actually thought I’d have health insurance, real health insurance like we had on the job 30 years ago. Instead I will go on paying for just about everything. Right about here, the woman told me our government was in the insurance business. I recognized the same “fiscal conservative” bullshit I’ve heard for the past 20 years. We live in a “welfare state.” Social services are “entitlements.”

I was seeing red. The woman could tell. She said she didn’t want to go on with the conversation. I said I didn’t either, I was upset enough already.

I guess I’ll have to actually sign up before I know all the facts. Maybe I’ll sign up with the Veteran’s Administration too. I’m concerned they may want to replace my doctor, which I will not allow. Who can know what will happen. For all the cock and bullcrap we read in the paper, and for all the braggadocios blowhards in our Congress, nobody actually knows the whole story.

And so I’ll be using the same plan I’ve had for quite a while - Pay or Die.