To impeach, or not to impeach

[David Horn]

(10-14-2019, 06:21 PM)Classic-Xer Wrote: Well, I don't associate road maintenance/constructions, law enforcement, the US postal service, firemen, military and so on with socialism. I don't even view Medicare and Social Security as socialist programs. However, I do view Medicare for all starting at birth or single payer as a socialist program. Me, I like the freedom to choose my healthcare provider and the freedom to choose another healthcare provider. I'm a private sector guy myself and I don't like the idea of being reliant on a bureaucratic system for all my healthcare needs.

Really? What do you have today? Oh yeah: a private bureaucracy rather than a public version, and one focused on generating profits, first and foremost. Worse, we have to have competition, so the many companies and even greater number of insurance policy alternatives each needs to be accommodated by various provider options and optional providers. All this is intended to get money from you rather than keep you well.

Since switching to Medicare from what was then pretty good employer-provided insurance, my costs are down and the ease of getting treatment, without worrying about in-network v. out-of-network, or authorized procedure v. sorry-for-your-luck, is simplicity itself. Go to a doctor (or hospital or clinic), get treated, hand over my cards, and go home. That's it. Because I chose Part G Medigap, I have an annual deductible of about $180. After that, everything is covered. My costs (and I'm 72, so costs should be higher than someone of working age) are:

• Medicare Part A - no charge.
• Medicare Part B - $135.50 a month.
• Medigap Part G - $112.41 a month.
• Medicare Part D - $25.40 a month.

That's it - $273.31 a month.

That's the power of a single provider with no profit incentive.