How much does a hip-replacement cost? (a math assignment for teabaggers)

as of Feb 2008:
In L.A. with the best surgeon -$11,000, anesthesiologist -$3,500, P.A.-$2,000 @ Ceders Sinai, 3 day stay -$30,000, 9 weeks P.T.@ 2 days a week -$2,250 comes to roughly $50,000.

Now let's do some math:)

Medicare started in 1965.

A person who was 35, in 1965, personally paid 1.45% of his/her gross income into medicare.


If we assume that they made 25K a year (an average) that comes to $750,000.00 earned since 1965, as they turned 65 .( this is probably grossly inflated, since many made a whole lot less until perhaps the very end of their careers..but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt)

1.45% of that comes to 10,875.00 total..paid into medicare.

All these whiny 65-plussers with teabags protruding from every orifice, and hanging from every appendage, should be ashamed of themselves. When you factor in the fact that many of these "elders" also worked in a time where guaranteed retirement medical coverage was also in their pensions, these double-triple-quadruple dippers (some are vets too) should NOT be the vanguard for protesting "unfair" health care proposals, when they have probably "used up" their contributions, and did it pretty soon after age 65...

Bonus math:

6.20% social security deduction for that same amount, comes to $46,500...and it's not always been 6.20%, so probably 20 years' worth was far less of a percentage..at least 20 years

Most people pay in far less than they will ever take out, unless they have the misfortune to die relatively young.

at the same time..

I know of many people that never collected a cent from Social Security nor ever used Medicare, like my late brother who worked his ass off his entire life only to die at the age of 45 years.

Sickening that people think this way isn't it? :puke:

:dem:

Freakin' ingrates and leeches

(masquerading as a wingnut) and collect Medicare cards for a public burning. I bet none of them would give them up.

These folks need to sit down and shut up,.they got their money's worth

...that may be what the surgeon, hospital etc. may charge, but it won't cost Medicare anything even vaguely approaching those amounts.

Real life example: My Dad's last hospital bill came to $43,931.36. Medicare allowed $12,038.72 and paid only $11,235.10. The surgeon's bill was $3,220.00 (nephrectomy, a/k/a kidney removal) of which Medicare allowed $1,515.93 and paid $1,212.74. In truth, write-offs of 50-70% such as these (for which no one can be billed and no one is legally liable to pay) are closer to "the rule" than to an "exception", which is, to no small degree, responsible for the fact that an increasing number of physicians are opting out of the Medicare program altogether. Do you think that shouldn't be a concern to the elderly? I'm just sayin'.

Oh, and by the way, how's that Dale Carnegie course workin' out for ya? Cuz I'm quite sure that a whole generation of Americans who worked hard, supported their families and put their kids through school, as well as paying into the SS and Medicare funds since '65, all with far fewer protections and programs to help them out when needed than we enjoy today (some fought in WW II and Korea, too) would be surprised to know that they are now considered "double-triple-quadruple dippers" who have "used up their contributions". Might as well just round them all up and say "Bring on the Death Panels!!" for all your sentiments would mean to them.

For your information, most of those you hear being so vocal about Medicare cuts are elderly, probably infirm to one degree or another, did everything that society and the government said they should and many have seen what was left of their nest eggs shrivel to a fraction of what they were worth just a few years ago. In short, they're old and frightened, and your response is scorn and ridicule. Way to make the Left look good!

Thanks a lot.

The teabaggers are the ones who are vehemently opposed to "people taking more than their fair share".. yet rarely take their own lives into consideration when they use their talking points.

these are the ones who think they deserve everything they lived long enough to qualify for, yet work hard to deny anyone else coming along to share in the same.

Even using your numbers, the amount paid in, is gone/used up/kaput before very long.

Math just is what it is..

As to the "dipping", elderly friends of mine actually use those words, and do so gleefully, so I don't consider it a slur at all.. it just is what it is..

Sorry you didn't "get it". I meant no disrespect to you or yours...or mine either, as I quickly approach that magic number 65, myself:)

I, for one, will not begrudge the elderly, "teabagger" or not, one thing that they worked for and was promised to them. Not one.

I don't much care for the teabagger-oldies..you may have my share of them :hi:

You know. Once the premiums you paid in since you first took out the policy have been "used up", you should just be out of luck and don't bother complaining about it?

I didn't think so. And on that one, you'd be right.