A question about Medicare...

okay, some libertarian nut that my wife works with was stating the medicare is in trouble and that there are all sorts of additional costs that are really hurting seniors and she had mentioned something called the "donut"?

I know this is nothing more than right wing bullshit, but since I don't know what their crazy argument really is; I'm unable to point my wife to a source to refute their charges nor am I armed with information.

Any help?

or not, depending on what we decide to do about health care in this country. Currently, with the highest per capita costs in the world, medicare funding levels will be inadequate for the boomer retirees.

"The term "donut hole" (or "doughnut hole") refers to a coverage gap within the defined standard benefit under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Under the defined standard benefit package, there is a gap in coverage between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold. Within this gap, the beneficiary pays 100% of the cost of prescription drugs before catastrophic coverage kicks in."

Medicare Part D is a republican authored piece of crap. Ask your freeper friend why the wrote such a lousy piece of leglisation.

All of medicare's problems are pretty easy to fix, or they would be if we had a congressional caucus on our side that was not contaminated with large numbers of corrupt and/or spineless idiots.

Extending medicare to everyone and adequately funding that through a payroll tax would resolve medicare's financial issues. Short of that, serious and real reform of the current health insurance system could help drive down costs and minimize the need for a funding increase. Plan D needs to be rewritten to eliminate the Republican donut and to allow for negotiating prescription prices, the latter would help fund the end of the donut, and help reduce the need for funding increases.

Funding is always an issue in a public single payer system, but it is an issue that we get to decide through democratic processes rather than through the whim of our employers.

Cheers!!

have shhot holes in medicare and added quite a few copays that didn't used tp be there. The donought hole she's referring to is in Part D. Most drugs are fairly inepensive out of pocket for seniors, until they reach a cap of around $3,000, they for the next $3,500-$4,000 you have to pay full retail out of pocket until catastrophic takes over and the drug costs come way down again. That's known as tne donut hole.

Before my husband was eligible to go on Medicare, our insurance per month was 1250. This money was NOT in our household budget at all and had to come from his retirement savings. Meds were 275 every month and a half.
My insurance now is at nearly 400/mo. which still is NOT in our budget but....my husband's meds are down to 40/mo.
He pays this amount until he reaches a certain amount (can't remember the amount) at which time he falls into a "donut hole". At that point, he will have to pay the 275 every month and a half again (until he reaches a certain amount which will take well over a year). The amount in the donut hole is, say 2500, or so. That means he has to reach paying that amount for his meds and THEN he can go back to paying 40/mo for meds.
Have heard Medicare is in trouble but have also heard it can be fixed. This man ranting has no idea how much it has helped people like us. If he is griping about the donut hole, sure, I agree. It is stupid and harsh. But this is the deal AARP struck with Big Pharma and the Health Insurance Industry which sold out the retirees.
AARP should not wonder why people have dropped their membership.