Jay Ambrose’s Aug. 16 opinion column, “Ryan’s Medicare plan a stark contrast to Obamacare,” praises Ryan’s Medicare plan.
The same day’s political cartoon depicts it well. We are the patients, pharmaceuticals provide wheelchairs, and insurance companies will push us off the cliff. Supplementals were required to supplement Medicare upon retirement. Otherwise, you paid “pay per service.” The supplemental paid $400 to complete payment of $100,000 major medical bill. The alternative when the patient got sick is end of life decisions.
Co-pays were introduced when insurance companies weren’t making enough profit off patients. Any boomer who had a life-threatening diagnosis had their premiums go out of sight. Insurance companies would have to undergo dramatic change.
Here is the reality. Current Medicare coverage charged $700 for a prescription the pharmaceuticals refuse to classify as generic because they can. The co-pay is $100 for something that keeps patients healthy if they can afford the cost.
