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I am a retired federal employee (retired Oct. 31st of this year), and I have the federal blue cross plan. I can choose my own doctors and I pay 25% copay on doctor visits and prescriptions. In retirement, I pay both the government portion and the employee portion, but it's still a good deal. Much cheaper than what the general public pays.

I've always said, if the general public knew what a good deal we federal employees and retirees have, they'd be screaming for the same level of care.

In any case, I'm FOR the increased benefits under the Medicare plan. As a federal worker, I paid 1.3 percent of my pay into Medicare, and I'll be drawing benefits someday. So it sounds like a great deal.

About the HMO's and managed care plans, I was in two different HMO's and I can verify that they give you the cheapest and weakest pills when you're sick and it doesn't knock out the problem. I'd go back to the doctor a week later and he'd say, guess I'll prescribe the stronger medication this time. I wanted to scream, I've suffered for a week and you didn't give me the good stuff the first time?

Yep.

My father was a federal employee and his medical coverage was the best. He also took the Federal Pension over SS and it, too is superior.

I get incensed when Kerry, for example, or Gephardt, make ads touting how lucky they (under the Federal program) were when their kids were ill. They should be promising to make these benefits available to the rest of us.

I am self employed. I pay both sides of Medicare and SS, as well. Although healthy, I had some treatment 7 years ago for which I paid out of pocket and now, if I want the Blue Cross/Blue Shield I had then, the cost is over $1k/month. I therefore only carry catastrophic.

I know people my age (60s) who cannot afford diagnostic tests and will wait for their Medicare eligibility to kick in. This is quite stressful for a lot of people. The Dems and the Libertarians and the rest moaning about the bad policies of Medicare are simply becoming background noise. In the end, this is going to be good for everyone. It will save billions in catastrophic health care costs, for one example.

I have avoided the HMOs, but I have heard the stories. Exactly like socialized medicine, except one can sue or go into mediation over HMO cheapness. We have a friend in NZ who moans constantly about the quality of medical care available on the National Health or whatever it is called there.

It pays to research drugs and treatments prior to seeing your MD. Usually, if you are forceful enough and have the facts to back yourself up, you can get them to avoid the subsequent appointments needed for better treatment. Basically, you also have to point out to them that their success rate will go up if they can treat you in one appointment sucessfully. I usually point out that both of us consider our time to be valuable. OTOH, I have known both the MDs I utilize for 20-30 years. They know I know what I am talking about if I present them w/my research and they probably prefer to get me out of there ASAP and not see me as often. It also helps that I have relatives who are senior med staff and both MDs know this...in fact, one of them served an internship under my relative's residency. Doesn't bother me at all and I have no complaints about the care I get.

We all have to practice defensive health care. Knowledge is power. Just don't come on to the doc in an aggressive or threatening manner and remain logical and calm. It will usually pay off, IMO.