Can they do this? Why would they want to have that stipulation when most folks sign up for Medicare when they're 65?
To make Soylent Green of course. Those folks will be rounded up and thrown down the Old Folks Chute. Pol-E-Tisheons are excused from that of course.
This crap needs to be burned or overturned...
“if you don’t sign up for Medicare you’ll lose your Social Security.”
Then, do you get back the money that you put into the system??
Actually, Medicare A is automatic at age 65, and costs the beneficiary nothing, directly.
Medicare B costs most people about $96.00 a month. (It is means tested).
However, my experience is that many are now waiting to retire until age 66 or age 67, and trying to keep their group health insurance plan, while increasing their SS benefits and waiting for their 401K to go back up.
(I sell financial products to the “senior market”).
Medicare Part A is no charge for Medicare recipients. Until the 80’s Federal Civil Service were not part of Medicare or Social Security. Then they made Civil Service part of Medicare and you had a choice to stay in the old system CSRS or go into FERS where you paid into social security and Thrift Savings was part of your retirement. At that time, everyone was part of Medicare Part A.
When Civil Service reach SS retirement age, they were given an option of Part B (Doctor) or keep their federal employee health insurance which you have in retirement which would pay the same as Medicare. NARFE recommended the plans that you did not need Part B which includes Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO plan and several others. They said it would be a waste to pay for Part B.
Under today’s plan no one has to take Part B and IMO if you can still keep your insurance, it would be a waste.
If the plan now says you have to take Part B, I want to slam it in the face of the Federal unions and ask how they like ZERO now? Or are we still exempt from OBAMACARE as a payoff to federal unions? Who knows since there are five different bills.
Medicare was NEVER supposed to be MANDATORY....however, I read something on FR recently about how that got CHANGED (snuck through without public review) some years ago....so, this confuses me.....
Just another scare tactic! Yes, we have to change the Social Security system if we are to survive (with that intact).
That is not the scary part, that comes when the politicians actually come to grips with the problem and do something about it. Not holding my breath...
They have placed us in this position...now let’s see them get us out of it...ha... You know that they will collapse under any pressure from the seniors (and I am one) but they should not!
bump to the top
I retired from employment with NY State in 2003. At that time, I was receiving a pension from my job, and was covered by an excellent plan. Because I had various health problems, and was in my late 50’s, I was told to apply for Social Security Disability. I got turned down once, appealed the case, and was approved for it. When I got the award notice from Social Security, it said I had an option to take Medicare Parts A & B, and recommended that I contact the pension department to discuss it. Upon calling the State’s pension department, they advised me that I had no option, and that I HAD to take Medicare, but I am still able to keep the health insurance I had with the State. The only difference was that now, Medicare became my primary, and my State insurance plan became secondary. I still have to pay a co-pay.
Once they start tying things to getting Social Security they will not stop. Just like all the things tied to getting a driver’s license. It seems wrong to take your money for your future security and then refuse to give it back unless you dance to their tune. People need to remember some of the things the government has done to people.
They can do anything they want. This is America!/sarc.