From the Washington Post:
A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found out-of-pocket health-care costs for Medicare beneficiaries are likely to take up half of their average Social Security income by 2030. ...\
[I]n 2013, among all Medicare beneficiaries, average out-of-pocket health-related expenses consumed 41 percent of the average Social Security income, according to a report made available exclusively to The Washington Post.
"This is substantially higher than the share reported by the Medicare actuaries for the same year (23 percent) because it takes into account the full array of out-of-pocket health expenses that people on Medicare face," according to the report. ...
6 comments:
A small price to pay for living in the greatest country in the world! Maybe they need to go temp halls and get some work or maybe sell their blood or something. What about some uber driving? Opportunities are immense in this great land.
SSDI differs fro Social Security retirement in as much as it is not a planned income; the government should NOT charge for health insurance for someone who has dropped out of the work force involuntarily. Additionally the 10% per year penalty is an abomination, let me explain....
When you are first eligible for Medicare parts B and D (A is free) and you do not take it, they tack on a 10% penalty per year for part B and another penalty (calculated monthly)for part D; there are NO exceptions. My experience with this is that when i was first eligible for parts B and D, I could not afford it and instead received treatments at community health centers under "free care" in the state in which I reside. Now I could swing the premium (many years later), but with the penalty I absolutely cannot afford it, and when I say cannot afford I do not mean it would be difficult, I mean impossible without going homeless.
I understand that the insurance is subsidized, but isn't that via the payroll deductions that we already made, and in most cases since the age of 16?
So, I am stuck with Medicare part A and cannot get Medicare parts B and D until I qualify for it again for another reason, which would be age 65..only 12 years to go if it's still there and I am still here.
Not a good or fair system
If you are disabled and under 65 it gets even worse if you have a chronic illness that requires constant treatment. Medicare covers 80% and the remaining 20% has to be paid. If you price medigap policies for those under 65 it can be crazy high if you can even buy one that is. I am on dialysis for 4 years now. I was able to buy medigap F 4 years ago for about 280 a month. This year it will be 470 a month for just the medigap policy. So just to make sure I am covered for dialysis I pay out of my SSDI check: 134 for Medicare B, 470 for Medigap F, and 72 for my prescription plan D. Thats 676 in premiums alone. I does not leave much to pay other bills.
We need to listen to that nice man with the big mustache on the TV who used to be a policeman. You know that bluebloods? We all need to look into those reverse mortgages for money to stay in our homes. That's the answer!
If a person meets the income requirements they can qualify for assistance with Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. Part B can be paid through Medicaid under the SLMB or QMB programs, as a QMB the person pays no premium or deductible for Part B and then Medicaid takes up the portion not covered by Medicare. THE LIS is a very simple form for assistance with the Part D Premium. If you meet the income requirements you can has assistance with the cost of a Part D plan. RxOutreach.org has very generous income requirements and the straight purchase of a prescription through them is often less than the copay with an insurance plan, very good for those waiting for coverage as well, why they do not have every drug they do have a majority.
For retirees, SSA was never intended as 100% of your retirement, you were supposed to be responsible for yourself. Those on SSDI have to be active in seeking out community partners for assistance if they are not able to navigate programs that are out there for assistance through drug manufacturers, service providers and other avenues. I hear a lot of complaining, not much on what you are doing to help yourself.
I increasingly cannot afford copays. I have had lupus for 32 years. The Lupus doc is unaffordable because my social security disability is so low. I used to. think Lupus would kill me. Now I know unaffordable copays are going to kill me instead. That or the $17 in food stamps a month I've been reduced to...
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