Comments on: An Open Letter to Harry Reid on Controlling Health Care Costs http://wallstreetpit.com/12097-an-open-letter-to-harry-reid-on-controlling-health-care-costs Tue, 22 May 2012 19:21:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mamie http://wallstreetpit.com/12097-an-open-letter-to-harry-reid-on-controlling-health-care-costs#comment-82841 Mamie Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:29:43 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=12097#comment-82841 As a person on Medicare and Medicare Plan D I can tell you Harry has done nothing to help us. I realize the "cuts to Medicare" are supposed to come from unnecessary spending, i.e. $2000 wheel chairs, etc. But when did the Congress ever cut any excess spending? They will cut the amount doctors are paid, forcing doctors to cut their Medicare patient numbers even more. Forcing nursing homes to cut the number of beds they designate especially for Medicare and Medicaid patients. They say that Plan D will cover half the cost of brand medicines, which they won't pay anything for now. I am not going on a starvation diet waiting for it to happen. Out of 5 medications I take two that are under $30 and Plan D is raising my share of the cost to 45% in 2010. They advertise $5 for a prescription? I have never only paid $5. All the other prescriptions I take are over $100 and up to $225. Plan D pays nothing for them. Now Harry claims I will be able to get free colonscopies and physicals. Yea, if I downgrade to Medicaid and go to the mall to get them. Easy for him to say because I will always to paying for him to get the best medical care he can find. It has come to my attention that DC does not think I am entitled to equal care. Candidate Obama promised over, and over, and over that he would give us the same medical care that all government employees including Congress and the president get. You never hear about that anymore. I could afford to buy into the government plan just from the amount of money I am spending being nickled and dimed to death every month with the plan developed out of the kindness of the governments heart for me. Until you have been in our shoes you will never understand why people give up food, cloths and move into substandard housing in order to survive the good deeds we receive from the United States government after reaching 65 years of age. As a person on Medicare and Medicare Plan D I can tell you Harry has done nothing to help us. I realize the “cuts to Medicare” are supposed to come from unnecessary spending, i.e. $2000 wheel chairs, etc. But when did the Congress ever cut any excess spending? They will cut the amount doctors are paid, forcing doctors to cut their Medicare patient numbers even more. Forcing nursing homes to cut the number of beds they designate especially for Medicare and Medicaid patients. They say that Plan D will cover half the cost of brand medicines, which they won’t pay anything for now. I am not going on a starvation diet waiting for it to happen. Out of 5 medications I take two that are under $30 and Plan D is raising my share of the cost to 45% in 2010. They advertise $5 for a prescription? I have never only paid $5. All the other prescriptions I take are over $100 and up to $225. Plan D pays nothing for them.

Now Harry claims I will be able to get free colonscopies and physicals. Yea, if I downgrade to Medicaid and go to the mall to get them. Easy for him to say because I will always to paying for him to get the best medical care he can find. It has come to my attention that DC does not think I am entitled to equal care. Candidate Obama promised over, and over, and over that he would give us the same medical care that all government employees including Congress and the president get. You never hear about that anymore. I could afford to buy into the government plan just from the amount of money I am spending being nickled and dimed to death every month with the plan developed out of the kindness of the governments heart for me.

Until you have been in our shoes you will never understand why people give up food, cloths and move into substandard housing in order to survive the good deeds we receive from the United States government after reaching 65 years of age.

]]> By: Daniel Habtemariam http://wallstreetpit.com/12097-an-open-letter-to-harry-reid-on-controlling-health-care-costs#comment-81589 Daniel Habtemariam Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:43 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=12097#comment-81589 Unless we overhaul the fee-for-service system entirely (as we should but won't do) or increase payroll taxes (as George H.W. Bush did and was vilified for), Medicare will go bankrupt in a few decades. Daniel Habtemariam Unless we overhaul the fee-for-service system entirely (as we should but won’t do) or increase payroll taxes (as George H.W. Bush did and was vilified for), Medicare will go bankrupt in a few decades.

Daniel Habtemariam

]]> By: Bryan http://wallstreetpit.com/12097-an-open-letter-to-harry-reid-on-controlling-health-care-costs#comment-80440 Bryan Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:37:40 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=12097#comment-80440 "a major squeeze on Medicare reimbursements for doctors " This would be the final move to kill primary care in America, a profession that is already in a shortage. Family doctors and general internalists see 20-25 patients a day already just to make enough to pay back the high costs of a medical education. Decreasing reimbursements for doctors only harms the quality of medical care, as they are forced to work longer hours and treat more patients. “a major squeeze on Medicare reimbursements for doctors ”

This would be the final move to kill primary care in America, a profession that is already in a shortage. Family doctors and general internalists see 20-25 patients a day already just to make enough to pay back the high costs of a medical education. Decreasing reimbursements for doctors only harms the quality of medical care, as they are forced to work longer hours and treat more patients.

]]> By: kenny jones http://wallstreetpit.com/12097-an-open-letter-to-harry-reid-on-controlling-health-care-costs#comment-80435 kenny jones Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:30:38 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=12097#comment-80435 The solution that Mr. Reich proposes is elegant--in every sense of the word. Thank you. The solution that Mr. Reich proposes is elegant–in every sense of the word.

Thank you.

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