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?

[Jonty30]

Helpful links would be great too.

[nascarnation]

The purchase being talked about is for the Medicare supplemental policy, which is NOT mandatory to buy.
If you desire, you purchase it from various companies who offer different levels of coverage depending on your geographic area.

Basic Medicare (which pays roughly 80% of expenses) is a government run payment system.

[CyberAnt]

Medicare is for people over 65.

Once you have Medicare, you can also have a companion policy, which helps to cover the costs Medicare doesn’t cover.

Medicare and ObamaCare are two different things.

ObamaCare is for individual or family coverage.

[KyCats]

Medicare is for age 65+.

[CGASMIA68]

Brush up on this stuff........sounds like you aren’t close to Medicare age?
Before you get there 1 or 2 years out do some research. Knowledge is key

[Mears]

I’m on Medicare. It’s government run.

My back up plan pays what Medicare does not cover——I chose it and the government had nothing to do with it.

Lots of folks just have Medicare-—no insurance company involved.

.

[Jonty30]

I’m not American, but I believe in its ideals and try to defend them.

[cherry]

basic medicare is govt run but paid by mine and your taxes...

[Mears]

This might help-——Medicare Advantage Plans are what those folks are talking about. They are a choice,not a requirement.

http://www.medicare.gov/supplement-other-insurance/medigap/medigap-and-medicare-advantage/medigap-and-medicare-advantage-plans.html

.

[Pearls Before Swine]

A better question would have been, “What’s the difference between people on Medicaid (not Medicare) and people who used to be on Medicaid but are now on subsidized Obamacare?”

[elpadre]

Medicare is not paid for by the government. It is paid for by the American worker.

[Oliviaforever]

In Obamacare, taxpayers subsidize other people’s health care.

In Medicare, senior citizen’s healthcare is subsidized by the taxpayer.

[CGASMIA68]

good for you

[Yosemitest]

ANYTHING OBAMA SAYS is worthless.
Watch what he does, and not what he says.
The ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF wants ~ and is DIRECTING the policies that regulate ALL health care plans
in the United States ~ TO FAIL !
NEVER FORGET THAT !

Many of us have said for many years that Obama is doing this INTENTIONALLY.
He using the old Soviet Plan from 1934 or earlier.




Only idiots and the evil voted for Obama, or ANY of the Democrats.
AND NOW, WE CAN ADD "Establishment Republicans" TO THAT LIST, ALSO!
They've lied to us, constantly, and really are "Collapsing the System".
And now, these "Useful IDIOTS" who voted for them, are buying the lies that "Obamacare was designed to work." ?
It was designed to fail from the start.
THEN ... THEY GO TO THE "SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM".

Flashback: Obama's Campaign to Transition to Single Payer Health Care (VIDEO)


obama master plan on health careover the years in his own words--SINGLE PAYER!!! ( 3:38 )

They've been sucking our wallets dry for over four years now on the "Obamacare" LIE.
AND NOW THEY WANT MORE TAXES ?
Our Founding Fathers would have hung them already!

Lets review:

Who was it that cut future funding for Medicare by $575 billion?

...the president and the Democratic Party successfully bamboozle voters... The 2012 election could turn on this falsehood.
The truth is that the Obama health law reduces future funding for Medicare by $575 billion over the next 10 years ...

Mr. Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius frequently make that false claim.
Indeed, even Medicare's mailings to seniors repeat the claim
that reducing spending on Medicare will make it more financially secure for future years.
The fact is that Mr. Obama's law raids Medicare.

"In early 1968 President Lyndon Johnson [DEMOCRAT] made a change in the budget presentation by including Social Security and all other trust funds in a"unified budget." "

Who was it that expanded Medicare and Medicaid to cover many, many more people than it was originally designed to cover?

The History of Medicare

In 1965, the Social Security Act established both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare was a responsibility of the Social Security Administration (SSA), while Federal assistance to the State Medicaid programs was administered by the Social and Rehabilitation Service (SRS). SSA and SRS were agencies in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). In 1977, the Health Care Financing Administration was created under HEW to effectively coordinate Medicare and Medicaid. In 1980 HEW was divided into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The first U.S. President to propose a prepaid health insurance plan was Harry S. Truman [DEMOCRAT]. On November 19, 1945, in a special message to Congress, President Truman outlined a comprehensive, prepaid medical insurance plan for all people through the Social Security system. The plan included doctors and hospitals, and nursing, laboratory, and dental services; it was dubbed "National Health Insurance." Furthermore, medical insurance benefits for needy people were to be financed from Federal revenues.

Over the years, lawmakers narrowed the field of health insurance recipients largely to social security beneficiaries. A national survey found that only 56 percent of those 65 years of age or older had health insurance. President John F. Kennedy [DEMOCRAT] pressed legislators for health insurance for the aged. However, it wasn't until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed H.R. 6675 (The Social Security Act of 1965; PL 89-97) to provide health insurance for the elderly and the poor.

On July 30, 1965, President Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid Bill (Title XVIII and Title XIX of the Social Security Act) in Independence, Missouri in the presence of former President Truman, who received the first Medicare card at the ceremony; Lady Bird Johnson, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, and Mrs. Truman also were present. President Johnson remarked: "We marvel not simply at the passage of this Bill but that it took so many years to pass it."

Medicare extended health coverage to almost all Americans aged 65 or older. About 19 million beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare in the first year of the program. Medicaid provided access to health care services for certain low-income persons and expanded the existing Federal-State welfare structure that assisted the poor.

The 1972 Social Security Amendments expanded Medicare to provide coverage to two additional high risk groups disabled persons receiving cash benefits for 24 months under the social security program and persons suffering from end-stage renal disease.

...(continued at link)

So Democrats,

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR INSURING THE FAILURE
OF THE MEDICARE/MEDICAID PROGRAM,
and now YOU DEMOCRATS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S.A. ECONOMY!!!

So DEMOCRATS ... SHUT UP!!!

You have no integrity!!!

Sen Mark Kirk's statement Thursday, Dec 1, 2011 ...

"There are 55 million Social Security beneficiaries that will see little or no extra cash from this 2012 tax holiday;
instead, the dedicated payroll contributions meant to pay for future benefits are being diverted from the Trust Fund
and replaced with Treasury debt that does not even have a AAA credit rating.
Social Security was designed to be independent and free from the danger of Congressional manipulation,
and maintaining the firewall between the Social Security Trust Fund and general government funding is the best way to maintain the solvency of this important program.
Neither bill protects the Social Security Trust Fund
so I voted no. "

It's not our fault that DEMOCRATS raided the Social Security Trust Fund.
Let's remember ...

Not ALL are to blame for the empty lock box.

It's the Democrats Communists.

Let's take a deeper look.

Obama: "I Don't Want the Folks who Created the Mess to do a lot of Talking" "

Okay, then the DEMOCRATS need to shut up!!!

[grumpygresh]

Medicare recipients are exempt from the 0-care mandate. Medicare recipients can accept the regular government plan (covers 80%) and purchase a commercial supplement plan that covers the other 20%. Medicare recipients can opt for an “advantage “ plan from a commercial co. that covers all benefits without the 20% co-pay, but is typically associated with costs, restrictions and deductibles.
Medicare is subject to the IPAB (rationing board) passed in the ‘09 stimulus.
In order to qualify for Medicare, you have to be 65 yrs or have a disability approved by social security.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well Medicare is not voluntary and you have paid into it for about 40 years before you ever get any benefits. And you have to wait til you are 65 to get it.

[fatnotlazy]

Actually, Medicare is also available to the disabled under 65. I’ve been on Medicare since I was disabled at age 56.

[frog in a pot]

Basic Medicare (which pays roughly 80% of expenses)...

FWIW, not sure that is entirely correct. It appears to me Medicare requires the medical provider to apply an "insurance discount" of approx 70% or more, and then pays slightly more than half of the balance with the remainder the patient's obligation. (Not sure how Medicare calculates its obligation in the event of hospitalization.)

That is a substantial hit, and I believe is the reason why many providers apparently exclude Medicare patients from their practice.

[Lorianne]

You paid into Medicare through payroll taxes while working whereas you did not do this for Obamacare.

Theoretically at least, you don’t have to buy anything more but most people end up buying supplemental policies to Medicare to cover things Medicare doesn’t cover. That may be what they are talking about.

And there are still deductions from you Social Security towards Medicare.