The looming deficit

[ollie']

I've barely scratched the surface. Any more ideas?

cut all funding for the national endowment for the arts and funding for planned parenthood. Both of those need to be a tie for first.
Secondly we need to cut funding for any nation that believes differently than ours. I'm sick of being a Christian and funding Muslim countries to behead my brothers.While we're at it , lets run all these free loaders on disability out of our country. Make them soak up funds and suck the tit of some other unsuspecting slob instead of me.

 

[Alice]

Any ideas on how to bring down cost?

Get Americans out from in front of the television and get them active. They could plant a garden or something. Anything. Something like 50% of Americans are dangerously overweight. That have pretty much taken physical activities out of children's lives these days. When we were kids we played all over the neighborhood. Hide & Seek, Tap out of jail, Red Rover, and then there was ball games in the neighborhood and those weren't the organized ones with uniforms and umpires/referees. We didn't have 4 wheelers. We pushed bike pedals.

Sounds good should we make it a law or just spend more on advertising?

Here is an idea for reducing the cost of medicare. Treat the money going in like insurance companies do. Invest it and let it grow until it is needed instead of pumping it into the general fund to be spent willy-nilly. Where as insurance companies have to collect the check now and start paying out benefits the first year or shortly after, we start paying in with our first paycheck and don't get to use it for another 40 years. I wonder what the Dow was 40 years ago?

Oh yeah!!!!!

Alice

 

[Tod Dague]

I do know that my precious aunt is in the nursing home and I am jumping thru hoops to keep her there. Why? Because her teacher retirement and social security is $8 more than what is allowed for medicaid.

As for what is an extra year worth...in my aunt's condition, it's not worth a nickel...and she'd tell ya' the same thing. I'm sorry, I can't be objective when it comes to this.

Alice

Sorry to hear about your Aunt.

Everyone needs to remember that Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are meant to support your life not your life style. I know that sounded cold but it is the truth. So many people are expecting that the government will take care of them when they are old, and they will, but it won't be all that great. At least she has her retirement you would be surprised how many people come in with nothing because they didn't plan ahead.

I hate to disagree with you about the worth of an extra year, but it must be worth a whole lot to someone because unless she is on Hospice she is spending almost everything she has on promoting her health and welfare. I'm not disagreeing with what she is doing just pointing that out.

I hope things get better for her.

Tod

 

[Alice]

I do know that my precious aunt is in the nursing home and I am jumping thru hoops to keep her there. Why? Because her teacher retirement and social security is $8 more than what is allowed for medicaid.

As for what is an extra year worth...in my aunt's condition, it's not worth a nickel...and she'd tell ya' the same thing. I'm sorry, I can't be objective when it comes to this.

Alice

Sorry to hear about your Aunt.

Everyone needs to remember that Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are meant to support your life not your life style. I know that sounded cold but it is the truth. So many people are expecting that the government will take care of them when they are old, and they will, but it won't be all that great. At least she has her retirement you would be surprised how many people come in with nothing because they didn't plan ahead.

I hate to disagree with you about the worth of an extra year, but it must be worth a whole lot to someone because unless she is on Hospice she is spending almost everything she has on promoting her health and welfare. I'm not disagreeing with what she is doing just pointing that out.

I hope things get better for her.

Tod

She's on hospice, Tod, and things have reached a point that I am medical and general POA...and that's a little tough. She'd do if for me, however, and, I'm doing it for her. And dangit, I'll go down swinging, if I have to.

Alice

 

[Alice]

One other thing, tod...and I'm using my aunt's dilemma because this is what I know and have dealt with...I'm certain she's not the only one that has faced this or will face this.

My aunt had prepared...she had an extended care policy that was to have paid on the event she went into a nursing home. She'd paid on that policy for 30 years. What the policy was to have paid, combined with her retirement and social security, would have just covered what nursing homes charge someone with her level of care per month...around $2750 per month.

After her stroke, she went into rehab, then went to an assisted living home. Her combined retirement and social security covered that, but barely. While at the home she began having a series of strokes...it was then she went on hospice. After going on hospice she was no longer transported to the hospital after each stroke...hospice rules and all. When I finally stepped into the picture and discovered that the assisted living home was not providing adequate care for her level of needed care, I had her transported to the nursing home. I then applied for her extended care coverage. That policy, after 30 years of payment, would not cover her care at the nursing home. Why? Because she had to have been in a hospital 3 days before entering the nursing home. I called her doctor who would not authorize a hospital stay for her. Why? Because he could no longer admit patients to the hospital without a diagnosis, and at that time she wasn't sick with anything that required hospitalization...and because she is on hospice which precluded her from going to the hospital anyway...AND were she to go off hospice, she would then be responsible for all medications that hospice provided...something she could not afford considering she was spent to the max for mothly care. So, here we have a woman who has prepared her whole life for this eventuality, and can't utilize it because of a stipulation in an insurance policy, and medical rules that have tied her doctor's hands. Here we have a woman who did not want to be a burden on her family (she has no children), who worked her whole life, has her retirement and her social security that equals 8 dollars a month more than what medicaid income guidlines stipulate one can make to qualify for medicaid. I'm thinking that is around $1803 per month...she makes around $1811 per month...and her nursing home cost is $2,350 per month...$500 per month more than what her income is. Right now the nursing home is basing her monthly rate on a lower level of care than she needs because hospice is providing part of the services. Normally, her level of care would cost $2750 per month. And her stinking 30 year insurance policy premiums have now become pure income for that stinking insurance company.

She has now been approved for something called the Miller Trust, which, if I can ever get her bank to cooperate, will cover the remaining $500. But the bank has a problem with putting the word "trust" on her account (but that's a whole other rant).

Something is very, very, very wrong with this picture, Tod. Healthcare has got to be revamped, somehow, someway. Like I said, this isn't just happening to my aunt...

Oh, and again, no way does she want to live like this for another year...I'll assure you.

Alice

 

[Tod Dague]

The problem is not with the hospitals, or the health care system, but medicare and all of the insurance agencies that have followed in their foot steps making the whole thing extremely complicate. I worked in Utilization Review for a number of years. My job was to ensure that the hospital was following medicare guidelines, to act as an advocate for the hospital when dealing with medicare, and an advocate for the patient when dealing with the insurance companies. Most people never saw me or knew that I was communicating with their insurance company though out their stay. Medicare will deny payment for an entire stay for the improper use of a single word "Admit". Medicaid is much better to work with, as a hospital, their thing is that they only want to pay what should be paid, and will allow for the corrections in status and billing. Can't argue with that.
As for the three day stay that started with Medicare. You must have a qualifying 3 day stay before you can use your Medicare Part A. Another thing to remember is that just because you are in the hospital for care does not mean that you have been admitted. You could be in observation status which is considered out patient which wouldn't qualify as part of the 3 day stay.

The Government in order to save tax payers money have devised ways to screw over the hospitals, which in-turn has to raise their rates to cover the losses. All this does is spread the cost to all of people who are private pay and the insured. The insurance companies have followed in their foot steps but the added cost are given directly to the insured individual.

What scares me is that many people who are looking for a fix want the Government to take it all over but they are the ones who created the problems in the first place.

Once again, I'm sorry about what has happened to your Aunt.

 

[Alice]

The problem is not with the hospitals, or the health care system, but medicare and all of the insurance agencies that have followed in their foot steps making the whole thing extremely complicate. I worked in Utilization Review for a number of years. My job was to ensure that the hospital was following medicare guidelines, to act as an advocate for the hospital when dealing with medicare, and an advocate for the patient when dealing with the insurance companies. Most people never saw me or knew that I was communicating with their insurance company though out their stay. Medicare will deny payment for an entire stay for the improper use of a single word "Admit". Medicaid is much better to work with, as a hospital, their thing is that they only want to pay what should be paid, and will allow for the corrections in status and billing. Can't argue with that.
As for the three day stay that started with Medicare. You must have a qualifying 3 day stay before you can use your Medicare Part A. Another thing to remember is that just because you are in the hospital for care does not mean that you have been admitted. You could be in observation status which is considered out patient which wouldn't qualify as part of the 3 day stay.

The Government in order to save tax payers money have devised ways to screw over the hospitals, which in-turn has to raise their rates to cover the losses. All this does is spread the cost to all of people who are private pay and the insured. The insurance companies have followed in their foot steps but the added cost are given directly to the insured individual.

What scares me is that many people who are looking for a fix want the Government to take it all over but they are the ones who created the problems in the first place.

Once again, I'm sorry about what has happened to your Aunt.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, Tod...right now my brain is frazzled from all of this...but the extended care policy my aunt paid on for 30 years and cannot utilize was thru a private insurance company...we weren't asking the govt. to do anything...just the private insurance company. But, with hospice rules, and hospital rules, and rules, and rules, and rules, the private insurance company found a way out. My aunt is a staunch Republican...she was trying to keep the govt. from having anything to do with paying for her care...bless her heart. Now, that is not to be...

I know you are sorry about what has happened to my aunt...and I do truly appreciate that.

Alice

 

[john250]

Alice--so sorry about your aunt.

My off the wall observation is that insurance is the problem more than the solution.
How many employees does your doctor have just filling out insurance paperwork? The hospital has rooms full of people filling out insurance paperwork. And the insurers have office towers full of people filling out paperwork. If you tried, I'm not sure you could put together a worse system.

Going back to the old system where the Doc and the patient made the decisions and settled the accounts isn't possible, of course.
But it should be our goal. The current health care system is sucking the life out of the economy (no pun intended). General Motors is failing because they are the largest purchaser of health care in the country as much as anything else. Every county budget staggers dealing with health insurance. Every school budget. Every private business that offers health insurance. It is a wolf sitting at our tables.
In a way, and this may not be popular, we have gotten way too good at health care. We can save a heck of a lot of people who passed in the old days from strokes and cancer and etc. There are remarkable successes but there are also a lot of folks left with about 10% of a life and staggering bills.

 

[Alice]

Alice--so sorry about your aunt.

My off the wall observation is that insurance is the problem more than the solution.
How many employees does your doctor have just filling out insurance paperwork? The hospital has rooms full of people filling out insurance paperwork. And the insurers have office towers full of people filling out paperwork. If you tried, I'm not sure you could put together a worse system.

Going back to the old system where the Doc and the patient made the decisions and settled the accounts isn't possible, of course.
But it should be our goal. The current health care system is sucking the life out of the economy (no pun intended). General Motors is failing because they are the largest purchaser of health care in the country as much as anything else. Every county budget staggers dealing with health insurance. Every school budget. Every private business that offers health insurance. It is a wolf sitting at our tables.
In a way, and this may not be popular, we have gotten way too good at health care. We can save a heck of a lot of people who passed in the old days from strokes and cancer and etc. There are remarkable successes but there are also a lot of folks left with about 10% of a life and staggering bills.

Thanks, John, and yes, I have to agree with you about insurance and insurance companies. I worked for one once, for about a year. I finally quit because I couldn't stomach the way they wiggled out of paying benefits. This is an honest to God quote here: "If they pushed it long enough, and hard enough we'd have to pay...but they aren't that smart and we can wear them down." Oh, the stories I could tell.

Alice

 

[TLCfromARK]

Here's a link that you might find interesting. I too am more concerned about our debt than anything else that going on in & out of our country.

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpenny.htm

;-)

 

[Alice]

Here's a link that you might find interesting. I too am more concerned about our debt than anything else that going on in & out of our country.

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpenny.htm

;-)

Thank you for that!

Alice

 

[Susie David]

I once said I wouldn't make any more political or biased statements...but always get a laugh out of how one person's ideals or concerns cause others to react.
DMc

 

[cmjust0]

My off the wall observation is that insurance is the problem more than the solution.

I agree, but not for the same reasons.. What most people don't realize is that insurance companies don't pay the same as what individuals pay out of pocket.. It's illegal to charge one person or group more than another person or group for the same product or service, but it's NOT illegal to offer certain groups "discounts" for volume buying..

Most insurance companies sit down with hospitals and work out agreements that knock up to 90% off the "regular price" for healthcare. Those who cut insurance companies the best deals get to be in that carrier's 'network' of service providers. That's why so many insurance companies jack the copay WAY up on out-of-network care so you'll choose the places where they pay the least, and so the hospitals are assured that almost everyone with X-brand insurance will be coming to them for care.

I know someone personally whose husband had to have heart surgery, and the bill showed nearly $100,000.. If I understand correctly, the copay/deductible was about $5,000, and the insurance company was to cover the rest. Thing is, "the rest" was only another $5,000 after the insurance company got their 90% discount. In essence, the insurance company split the bill with her. If she had been able to access the discount without carrying insurance, she could have saved or invested the money she wasn't paying into insurance premiums and come out WAAAAAY ahead on the deal.

But, since you can't get the hospital discount without an insurance company, they'd have been responsible for the full $100,000 if they hadn't had any insurance.

When it comes to healthcare, insurance is the problem -- not the solution. If health insurance were made illegal tomorrow, healthcare costs would drop by 90% overnight.. Gauranteed.

 

[aplusmnt]

Some good Post Tod! In regards Nursing Homes and Health care. At the moment I am dealing with my grandma in a nursing home. She drove to a store at 83 years old and was hit by an automatic door. Since she has not left the nursing home after a stint in hospital.

As emotional as it is to see a loved one in a nursing home. In the end we have to accept responsibility for these things ourself. We should plan for our last years. Invest, save, build assets. The responsibility should rest on us and not our children or Government.

When this time comes if we have not made plans for it ourselves, then we should be happy if our family or Government do help us. We should never rely on Medicaid to support us in our last days. If you look at the average amount of money a person pays in to Medicaid they do not pay in enough to support themselves say 5 or 10 years in a nursing home everything over and above that is a burden on Taxpayers due to poor planning on our part.

It is funny how many people in so many areas, not just Health care. Do not plan or take active measures to insure their health and well being either currently or in future but then want to complain and blame the government for it.

 

[Caustic Burno]

We had to put Dad in one a few years before he died and it has haunted me every day since we did. You had better keep a close eye on there care as I actually put some employee's in jail for stealing meds and selling. Caught them ordering 1000's of dollars worth of meds charging it against his insurance and selling them.
Anyone that abuse's children or the elderly should be used as hog bait.

 

[john250]

My off the wall observation is that insurance is the problem more than the solution.

When it comes to healthcare, insurance is the problem -- not the solution. If health insurance were made illegal tomorrow, healthcare costs would drop by 90% overnight.. Gauranteed.

We agree.

 

[Tod Dague]

The problem is not with the hospitals, or the health care system, but medicare and all of the insurance agencies that have followed in their foot steps making the whole thing extremely complicate. I worked in Utilization Review for a number of years. My job was to ensure that the hospital was following medicare guidelines, to act as an advocate for the hospital when dealing with medicare, and an advocate for the patient when dealing with the insurance companies. Most people never saw me or knew that I was communicating with their insurance company though out their stay. Medicare will deny payment for an entire stay for the improper use of a single word "Admit". Medicaid is much better to work with, as a hospital, their thing is that they only want to pay what should be paid, and will allow for the corrections in status and billing. Can't argue with that.
As for the three day stay that started with Medicare. You must have a qualifying 3 day stay before you can use your Medicare Part A. Another thing to remember is that just because you are in the hospital for care does not mean that you have been admitted. You could be in observation status which is considered out patient which wouldn't qualify as part of the 3 day stay.

The Government in order to save tax payers money have devised ways to screw over the hospitals, which in-turn has to raise their rates to cover the losses. All this does is spread the cost to all of people who are private pay and the insured. The insurance companies have followed in their foot steps but the added cost are given directly to the insured individual.

What scares me is that many people who are looking for a fix want the Government to take it all over but they are the ones who created the problems in the first place.

Once again, I'm sorry about what has happened to your Aunt.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, Tod...right now my brain is frazzled from all of this...but the extended care policy my aunt paid on for 30 years and cannot utilize was thru a private insurance company...we weren't asking the govt. to do anything...just the private insurance company. But, with hospice rules, and hospital rules, and rules, and rules, and rules, the private insurance company found a way out. My aunt is a staunch Republican...she was trying to keep the govt. from having anything to do with paying for her care...bless her heart. Now, that is not to be...

I know you are sorry about what has happened to my aunt...and I do truly appreciate that.

Alice

I'm sorry I had been up all night and didn't make myself clear. I understand that you are talking about a private insurance plan. I agree that what they are doing is a travesty. What I was attempting to get across, in my own feebile way, is that the private insurance companies are following the lead of Medicare. Medicare is the one that started using the 3 day qualifying stay for the activation of the medicare part A for skilled services and insurance companies recognized that it was a good way to keep from paying for services and followed suit.

I totaly agree that what has happened to your Aunt is wrong.

 

[Frankie]

Starting the first of the year, Medicare reimbursement will be cut 5%. Many doctors are saying they can't afford to take new Medicare patients with that sort of reimbursement. That will also affect reimbursement for people on Medicade and military families using TRICARE. Who's going to take care of the elderly, the poor and our military families?

 

[Tod Dague]

Some good Post Tod! In regards Nursing Homes and Health care. At the moment I am dealing with my grandma in a nursing home. She drove to a store at 83 years old and was hit by an automatic door. Since she has not left the nursing home after a stint in hospital.

As emotional as it is to see a loved one in a nursing home. In the end we have to accept responsibility for these things ourself. We should plan for our last years. Invest, save, build assets. The responsibility should rest on us and not our children or Government.

When this time comes if we have not made plans for it ourselves, then we should be happy if our family or Government do help us. We should never rely on Medicaid to support us in our last days. If you look at the average amount of money a person pays in to Medicaid they do not pay in enough to support themselves say 5 or 10 years in a nursing home everything over and above that is a burden on Taxpayers due to poor planning on our part.

It is funny how many people in so many areas, not just Health care. Do not plan or take active measures to insure their health and well being either currently or in future but then want to complain and blame the government for it.

Yes but sometimes you do all of the right things and you still end up in trouble like Alice's aunt. These days you have to know all of the ends and outs of your insurance plans before you ever need them.

 

[Tod Dague]

We had to put Dad in one a few years before he died and it has haunted me every day since we did. You had better keep a close eye on there care as I actually put some employee's in jail for stealing meds and selling. Caught them ordering 1000's of dollars worth of meds charging it against his insurance and selling them.
Anyone that abuse's children or the elderly should be used as hog bait.

You would be surprised at the number of people that won't even visit their parents once a month. I would say that about 10% of our residents have family members that are actively involved in their care. A lot of these people have their minds and they know when they have been dumped. It truly is sad.