Actually, Americans over 65 are already on government health care. My father in law was turned down for a hip replacement due to age by Medicare. He paid out of pocket.
Unless the law changes, I will opt for my employer’s sponsered Blue Cross (private) plan when I retire. They provide slightly better coverage than Medicare and are reinbursed by Medicare for medicare “allowables”.
My mother has New Horizons by United Health care and we found out that if Medicare didn’t pay for something then neither did New Horizons. She had to get rehab therapy (after something too long a story to tell) and we ended up with a 10k bill. We appealed and of course the administrative judge found for the insurance company.
It's not unusual at all. That's why "surgery tourism" to places like India and Thailand are booming business right now.
If you don’t mind sharing, how old was your father-in-law?
I ask because my husband, aged 69, Parkinson’s, fell last fall, breaking his hip, and it was covered. But, falls are going to happen again, because Parkinson’s has destroyed his sense of balance.
So, at what age will Medicare stop paying?