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Medicare for All not just Me [1]

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Date: 2023-03-01  

Don't be a Pie Hog; Everyone should get a piece of the Medicare pie

I’m turning 65 this month and I’m now on Medicare effective today, March 1. And I think everyone should have this opportunity. Let me explain. Prior to turning 65, I had an individual Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona policy. I had this policy since 2007 and it was grandfathered after the adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘PPA” often referred to as ACA or Obamacare). It was a very good policy as far as individual health insurance polices go. It was a PPO plan and most doctors accepted BCBS. It covered most health issues, although not my sleep apnea which was specifically excluded from the policy. But it was very expensive, with a premium of almost $10,000 per year and a deductible of $5,500. My income was above the PPA subsidy limits most years, so I kept this policy even as premiums continued to rise and even as BCBS began to deny previously approved medical appointments and tests recommended by my doctors. I paid for these appointments and tests myself, and in one instance the test discovered an issue which requires treatment.

Now I’m on traditional Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (the best I could get as recommended by an insurance agent--a G Supplement) and a prescription drug plan. My total monthly premium for all three is approximately $330 or about $4,000 per year. My deductible for hospitals and doctors is $226 for the entire year. My sleep apnea is apparently covered by Medicare and I now have an appointment with a sleep specialist physician for the first time in years. I just filled my first prescriptions with my prescription drug plan, and the cost of my share of the prescriptions is half of what I was paying with my BCBS plan.

I am very fortunate that I was financially able to pay for all of my healthcare insurance premiums and expenses myself out of pocket for the last 15 years. I recognize that most individuals and especially families cannot possibly afford good health insurance. Everyone should have access to Medicare coverage and reasonable healthcare insurance costs. I’m going to continue to fight for universal healthcare for all Americans. That’s why I became a Democrat in 1976, and I’m not going to stop pushing for Medicare for All.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/1/2155692/-Medicare-for-All-not-just-Me

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