Affordable Health Care Coverage Now

Do you know anyone on Medicare?

If you know someone on Medicare, or you yourself are on Medicare, then you know that Medicare is not the golden ticket of health insurance that many people believe it is. Until you have to go on Medicare, you might think that Medicare covers prescriptions, nursing home stays, etc.

One reason we need health care reform is because of the high cost of Medicare to seniors who need coverage yet are living on a fixed income. Not every grandma and grandpa on Medicare is rich and can afford $600 month supplemental insurance. Not everyone on Medicare can even get supplemental health insurance once they are diagnosed with a disabling disease.

Take for example, Mr. A. He has End Stage Renal Disease (his kidneys don't work and he goes to dialysis 3 times a week). Mr. A. is on Medicare, part A and part B.

Mr. A was in the nursing home for 110 days.

Mr. A worked his whole life. He is very, very sick. His Medicare doesn't cover his prescriptions or rides to dialysis. He can't get supplemental health insurance because he has end stage renal disease.

Mr. A owes more than $10,000 to the nursing home for days 90-110 because Medicare only pays for days 1-89. If you are on Medicare, you are not allowed to be in a nursing home past 89 days or you will have to pay out of pocket. Hurry the hell up and get better or you will pay at the rate of $300 a day.

Mr. A also owes thousands in chair car charges to get to dialysis, thousands in co-payments to doctors and is behind on his mortgage because of all of his medical bills.

Why isn't Mr. A covered completely by Medicare? Why are our sickest people denied quality care because of money? He has health insurance yet he has thousands in medical bills.

I have a suggestion to health care reform.

Put all members of congress and their families on Medicare only. They can't buy supplemental coverage and they can only go to Medicare approved physicians. Give them no other options. Don't pay for their prescriptions, eyeglasses,or hearing aids.

We will have a solution to our health care crisis in less than a week, with both sides in agreement.