My parents are loosing their Health Insurance, This really pisses me off!

[liberal N proud]

I talked to them yesterday and they told me that they got notice that at the end of this year, they will no longer have halt care insurance.
This really pisses me off, they work their life expecting things to be there and now, when they have no chance to supplement their Halt Care with personal savings or any other means, they just get cut off.

My parents are both are in their 80's and need constant medical care. My dad has a pace maker and continuing heart problems and my mother just had knee replacement surgery. They are both on a boat load of medication and it has been covered under their insurance.
They have been retired for 25 years with full benefits and a good pension. My dad worked a union job until Reagan managed to bust so many of the unions in the early 80's. He had 30 years in with the company and one day they just closed the plant, he was able to take an early retirement with good benefits and has lived fairly comfortable because the house was paid for and he had saved some money.
They had excellent Health Care, better than I have now while working.

I told my wife and she replied, how can they just do that. My reply, Welcome to george bush's new world order. They just want these people to die and save the government all that social security.
:grr:

[demnan]

1. Since they probably still have Medicare

I'm assuming this was a supplemental insurance?

My Mom lost her free supplemental years back and now pays quite a bit to keep the policy going. This happened in the last four years. My father was a Sears technician and at the time, they had good benefits. I'm wondering can your parents pay to keep this insurance going? If that's an option, I'd certainly take it. And yes I think this sucks big time.

[liberal N proud]

3. No they can not pay to keep the insurance

When they retired, this was full coverage, they were not 65 yet. When they became eligeble for Mediacare the policy became suppliemental, but covered better than most.
One doctor told my sister that the only reason my father was getting the care he was getting was because of how good this policy was. They were doing things that they would not do for Medicare only patients.
I asked if they could pay for this on thier own and they were told no.
Even if they could, I would imagine it would be $800 to $1000 per month. That is the cost people I know whe were recently forced to retire would have to pay for medical insurance.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. how can you lose your medicare?

[China_cat]

10. Easy

One day the government sends you a statement of what benefits you are eligible for under SS and it says 0 (zero)

Happened to me 4 years ago.

[billyoc]

4. Call Marcy Kaptur immediately.

You're in Lorain county, right? I thought I remembered you saying that because my cousin went out to OH from NYC here to work on the Marcy Kaptur/John Kerry campaign. She's a good rep.

[liberal N proud]

5. I plan on calling Sherrod Brown first think next week.

I hope he can direct me in the right direction.

[billyoc]

6. It's a national disgrace.

"Greatest Generation", eh? :grr:

[liberal N proud]

7. Exactly, and he can't even turn to the VA with all the cuts there.

His bother who is a couple years younger was self employed all his life was turned away from the VA earlier this year.

[billyoc]

8. Yeah, I'm a veteran, but I won't go near a VA hospital

because I've still got all my limbs. This is really going to be one of the issues that brings down the neocons. Even * supporters don't want to die for want of a few pills.

[Joy Anne]

9. I see they're in Ohio

If they're low to moderate income and their primary health insurance problem is prescription drugs, move to Pennsylvania. Its lottery funds provide $10*/prescription drugs for seniors. Home health care exceeding Medicare provisions and some other bennies also apply.

*There are two rates, depending on income level. PACE, for low-income seniors, used to be $2 long ago, and I think it's maybe $7 now. PACENET is for moderate-income seniors and is maybe $12 or $15.

The preceding welcome mat from me, of course, applies only if they're Democrats. <g>

[liberal N proud]

13. I am in Ohio, They are in Iowa

[Joy Anne]

14. Ohio or Iowa

You're all welcome. And they'd be closer to you in Pennsylvania than in Iowa!

[ooglymoogly]

11. STOP THE MADNESS

BOYCOTT THE TREASONOUS BASTARDS WHO PUT US IN THIS MESS. THE LIST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER THE NET. WE HAVE TO STOP BUYING FROM THEM.

[Cleita]

12. I'm looking into this for myself.

I turn 65 next year and will be on Medicare. I found that supplemental insurance to traditional Medicare works better than a privatized Medicare HMOs since they only cherry-pick the health seniors and most health care providers don't accept them.

http://www.araretireehealth.com/

Contact these people or go to your local senior citizen's center and find out if they have a social worker to advise on these issues. I know there is an enrollment period every year where you can change insurance plans without penalty and they have to accept you no matter what your pre-existing medical conditions.

Best of luck on finding something to replace your parents lost insurance.

[katinmn]

15. This is so sad. Why should we trust any of the Repugs in power?

You stick with something for your whole life, you play by the rules, you give them your money as an investment in the future, and they burn it up on policies you don't agree with.

Makes you want to not feed the monster, doesn't it?

What guarantee do we have that OUR health and life insurance and our retirement dollars will be there when we are retirees? Oh, duh, what a dumb question.

[Sgent]

16. Need more info.

Ok, lets back up a minute...

It is illegal for a physician to charge a senior without going through Medicare first -- and Medicare sets they prices paid, not the supplament. So unless you have the extrememly rare case of a physician who has opted out of Medicare, it should have no effect their care at all.

That being said, your parents need to get a supplement and get it in place today -- not in a couple of months. There is a period of time (I'm not sure how long) where they cannot look at pre-existing conditions since your parents have been under a retirement plan.

Next, call your state Medicaid office, and sign them up for the QMB/SLMB program. Although it won't help with medicare especially, if eligible it will increase their monthly draw from social security by about $150/month. Eligibility guidelines are based on income, not assets, and they are fairly generous (about 30-35k/yr for a couple).

Finally, if its drugs that are the issue, you need to look at www.ushare.com and www.togetherrx.com. They need to sign up for both. These programs are run by the pharmaceutical compaines, and based on income give significant discounts, with most drugs being $10-$15 / month. The ushare card will also help with generics, but you may get a better deal through costco or calling drugstores in your area.