Original Medicare

billyb

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2,172
Florida
I saw a couple at the river yesterday that I had insured when I ran a debit with Liberty National back in the 70's. Both are in poor health and only have original Medicare. Can't qualify for a supplement. MAPD is the only option. The wife says she owes $95,000 from hospital/doctor bills. I don't like MA, but it sounds like they need one. How can someone owe that much?
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I saw a couple at the river yesterday that I had insured when I ran a debit with Liberty National back in the 70's. Both are in poor health and only have original Medicare. Can't qualify for a supplement. MAPD is the only option. The wife says she owes $95,000 from hospital/doctor bills. I don't like MA, but it sounds like they need one. How can someone owe that much?
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No Med Supp to cover the gaps. Hx of Cancer?
 
The wife says she owes $95,000 from hospital/doctor bills. I don't like MA, but it sounds like they need one.

What kind of ongoing medical treatment, if any? Are they willing to trade access to any provider for only those in network?

A friend who is still somewhat active in the U65 health insurance market told me he has a client looking at 2020 Obamacare plans. He is currently receiving treatment at Cleveland Clinic. Only one carrier in his area for 2020 includes CC in their network. Their premium is $300 higher than the next "lowest" rate.

He can't understand why his client is willing to pay an extra $3600+ per year to maintain access to CC.

Helping folks is not a one size fits all proposition. Just because $0 premium is all they can afford does not mean that is better than nothing, or just Medicare alone.

The debt they have will probably never be paid off until they die, if then. If providers they are currently seeing have outstanding debts it is entirely possible those providers will refuse to treat them until the old debts are satisfied.

Hospitals especially will turn them over to collections unless the business office determines that to be a lost cause. Blood from a turnip kind of thing.

If outstanding debts from docs are providers they may never see again then those bills are put on the back burner as well.

A friend lost her husband a few years back. Generally in poor health but suddenly went south. Two weeks in the hospital ran up several thousands in debt. They had filed BK once a few years ago so they already had low gunwales. More debt would sink them.

When he died the wife walked away from the debt. Bills incurred by the husband died with him. The wife never signed financial responsibility papers. They lived in a rental, so no property liens. The debt died when he died.



Increasingly, medical debt poses the most significant barrier to economic well-being.

  • More than 84% of people aged 65+ are coping with at least one chronic condition, and often more as they age.
  • A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine revealed that out-of-pocket medical expenditures in the five years prior to an individual’s death totaled more than $38,000, leaving 1 in 4 seniors approaching bankruptcy.
Senior Debt Facts
 
Both were school board employees before retirement so they had group coverage and after that just original Medicare. No drug plan either. She is 70 and he is 74. Bad health-COPD, heart, etc. She said all of the debts came from 2018 hospital stays. She went to North Okaloosa Medical Center which is the most expensive hospital in the USA. Since they can't qualify for a Medicare Supplement their only option is a MAPD. At least they would have a MOOP.
 
Both were school board employees before retirement so they had group coverage and after that just original Medicare. No drug plan either. She is 70 and he is 74. Bad health-COPD, heart, etc. She said all of the debts came from 2018 hospital stays. She went to North Okaloosa Medical Center which is the most expensive hospital in the USA. Since they can't qualify for a Medicare Supplement their only option is a MAPD. At least they would have a MOOP.

95K would represent about $475K at 20%. A couple of major heart attacks or surgeries could come up to that.
 

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