What is the difference between Obamacare and Medicare?

[Jonty30]

I am arguing with a leftist on Facebook, who tells me the government requires people to purchase Medicare from one of thirty companies. Since Obamacare also requires you to purchase from companies, there is no difference. (His argument)

So what does Obamacare do that Medicare doesn't?

[fatnotlazy]

Medicare pays 80% of adjusted expenses. The provider puts a dollar figure on the expense. Medicare reduces the amount, then Medicare pays 80% of that reduced amount.

[Big Horn]

Medicare sometimes pays way less then the charge but allows a set charge, if you have a lot of medical expense it pays to have supplemental ins.

[Big Horn]

Medicaid is for people that have no ins. and no job.They can be very young.

[nascarnation]

many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients from their practice.

I'm not sure what your locale is.

Here in the midwest (where there are a lot of old people) this doesn't seem to be the case, thankfully.

For better or worse, I've had a lot of personal experience with medical providers since I retired.

Nationally the percentage is about 91% of doctors take medicare patients.

[Grams A]

“What’s the difference between people on Medicaid (not Medicare) and people who used to be on Medicaid but are now on subsidized Obamacare?”

Taxpayers are paying more. Something I wasn’t aware of. One of my doctor clients had a call from patient this week who needed his benefits checked so he could schedule an appointment. He currently is seeing four doctors and a physical therapist, having had shoulder surgery on January 2.

He has insurance through an Aetna plan fully funded by tax dollars. His deductible and co-pays are paid by a group called Legacy which is actually attached to a local clinic and has a Federal grant to cover the payments. I would suspect that their grant also covers their office rent, staff salaries and all their benefits, among other things. This particular guy says he has a “team” of eight people who handle coordination of his care through Legacy.

This particular guy worked for Comcast in 2014, is in the U.S. on a green card, says he has no current job but does have food stamps, government paid housing and access to grant money to cover his utility bills, cell phone and Metro transportation.

Don’t know if we really want to know what all of this is really costing us.

[bert]

-——he reason why many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients ——

however, although they don’t accept medicare, they accept Medicare advantage

medicare is an administrative headache. medicare advantage is not

[nascarnation]

Most but not all cases.
http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor&page=script&script_id=15

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

‘Medicare is for age 65+.’

If you are on SS Disability you also have at any age. Go Cats!

[windcliff]

Thanks for the link.

[Lumper20]

And those who are social security disabled may also use it as their primary depending on circumstances.

[Chickensoup]

ou do not have to take medicare.

[nascarnation]

ou >>> Ohio Univ? Oklahoma Univ? Orthodox Union?

[frog in a pot]

Medicare pays 80% of adjusted expenses. The provider puts a dollar figure on the expense. Medicare reduces the amount, then Medicare pays 80% of that reduced amount.

You sound confident, so that may be your experience. For the sake of this discussion, however, the formula you set out doesn't apply across the board.

I'm holding an invoice for blood work just done for a 65+ relative. I'll let you do your own calculations.
Charge: $1137.15
"Insurance Discount": $870.88
Medicare Paid: $140.80
Patient Owes:$125.47

There is no room in there for any element of the formula you state.

[nascarnation]

Having had about a $200 grand in med work the last couple years, yes I have some experience with the Medicare and Medicare supplement systems.

[frog in a pot]

Nationally the percentage is about 91% of doctors take medicare patients.

That is good to know. Perhaps the "discount" is not as great a hit as I believed.

[onedoug]

“...On the house. Which you would pay for.”

“If I’d only listened to Mr Fawlty....”

[frog in a pot]

For the larger part, I am sorry to hear you have had that amount of "experience".

Actually, I should not have copied you in my original post because you raised an issue that is much different issue than addressed in my response. {;^)

[nascarnation]

From a pragmatic standpoint, most of the serious high dollar medical work is done on old people. Almost all old people are on Medicare.

While there is a lot of doom and gloom about the medical system (much of it deserved) I was happy to see a record number of students for “match day”

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/MedicalEducation/50600

[nascarnation]

Thanks.

I’ve actually had a good outcome (at least for now) and 98% of my experience with the med system has been very positive.

[willibeaux]

nasc...... I live in Golden CO. My doctor no longer accepts Medicare or Medicaid patients. Can’t afford to. :-(