18-12-2013, 05:48 PM
All,
Both of my parents were on Medicare. Medicare paid everything concerning their treatment, (and most of their medications) and there were some things they received care for that I really never expected would be covered. It's a wonderful program, overall, and yes, there is a supplemental insurance available to cover the percentage, (20% or less), that Medicare doesn't cover outright for some things. Medicare is federally administered, and should not be confused with Medicaid, which is run by individual states, and subject to each states' laws and regulations.
We can dispute what Medicare does and doesn't cover, but that would be missing the main point here. The really important object is that just by discussing this, the government is admitting there is a larger, and mostly ignored, problem, and that something needs to be done about it. While some larger health care systems are beginning to cover GID treatment, they are very few and far between. Getting government involved is going to throw the conversation open. Yes, Medicare is for us "old folks", but if it receives due recognition from the government, do you really think it will continue to be ignored by the rest of the health care profession? Not hardly. And, it is the non-governmental side of the health care system that can accomplish this treatment for all ages. Getting it out in a wider conversation can only help all of us who are so inclined. It will take time, but this could be the start of something major. Medicare is one of a very few government programs that actually functions as designed, and if this juggernaut approves GID treatment, then all others will fall in line in time. With the possible exception of religious health systems. They will probably always operate on the premise that they know way more about what's better for us than we do. And they will weasel their way into getting government to give them an exception.
Don't be too harsh with Medicare, and write it off as just for "oldies". There have been major changes in treatments before as a result of Medicare involvement.
Both of my parents were on Medicare. Medicare paid everything concerning their treatment, (and most of their medications) and there were some things they received care for that I really never expected would be covered. It's a wonderful program, overall, and yes, there is a supplemental insurance available to cover the percentage, (20% or less), that Medicare doesn't cover outright for some things. Medicare is federally administered, and should not be confused with Medicaid, which is run by individual states, and subject to each states' laws and regulations.
We can dispute what Medicare does and doesn't cover, but that would be missing the main point here. The really important object is that just by discussing this, the government is admitting there is a larger, and mostly ignored, problem, and that something needs to be done about it. While some larger health care systems are beginning to cover GID treatment, they are very few and far between. Getting government involved is going to throw the conversation open. Yes, Medicare is for us "old folks", but if it receives due recognition from the government, do you really think it will continue to be ignored by the rest of the health care profession? Not hardly. And, it is the non-governmental side of the health care system that can accomplish this treatment for all ages. Getting it out in a wider conversation can only help all of us who are so inclined. It will take time, but this could be the start of something major. Medicare is one of a very few government programs that actually functions as designed, and if this juggernaut approves GID treatment, then all others will fall in line in time. With the possible exception of religious health systems. They will probably always operate on the premise that they know way more about what's better for us than we do. And they will weasel their way into getting government to give them an exception.
Don't be too harsh with Medicare, and write it off as just for "oldies". There have been major changes in treatments before as a result of Medicare involvement.