Medicare for All is being bandied about in various forms these days. If the model is the current Medicare system, I don’t see how Medicare for All can work. I see two problems: There’s already a lot of money going into Medicare, yet medical providers are not receiving adequate payments.
If you receive a paycheck, 1.46 percent of your gross pay goes to Medicare. Those receiving Medicare also make payments. There is no fee for Medicare Part A-Hospitalization. But Part B costs each Medicare recipient $144.60 per month. If you only have Parts A and B, you don’t really have comprehensive coverage. This is why there is a proliferation of supplement plans. These plans range in cost, but you get what you pay for.
If you want drug coverage, you will need Medicare Part D, which again involves a cost. After all these costs, Medicare does not include vision or dental coverage.
How are all these payments into Medicare reflected in payments to providers? Based on the explanation of benefits I see, providers are receiving a small fraction of their costs. Medicare payments can be so low that many providers will not accept Medicare patients.
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I am all for everyone being able to receive adequate medical care. I just haven’t seen a proposal that can make Medicare for All work
Bob Hazleton
Corvallis
