subject: Medical Coverage And The Elderly [print this page] In the U.S. really the only option that older folks have is to sign on with Medicare and hope for the best. While it may perhaps seem that this senior health insurance plan is really comprehensive there are actually quite a number of significant downfalls within the system.
While Medicaid does help older Americans afford their health care Medicare patients tend to be discriminated against for the mere reason that Medicare doesnt really cover a large percentage of anything. In essence, this means that medical doctors truly do not want to take on any new Medicare patients and so if you have a doctor that you were with before you got on with Medicare that's very likely the doctor that you'll need to continue to see for the rest of your life. Most doctors will tell Medicare patients that they are unable to take on any new clients very simply because it is not cost effective for any doctor to maintain a Medicare only practice.
When it comes to coverage, most standard things are covered, however there is a part of Medicare now that costs the elderly out of pocket. This coverage is known as Medicare part B and includes things like extra catastrophic coverage, travelers insurance, and prescription coverage which is selected by the individual based on what options they feel will most benefit them. The costs of course are as varied as the types of plans.
In the end, most routine stuff will be covered but in the case of a more serious procedure or illness a patient will most likely find that Medicare will deny many different things and tends to push patients towards the most cost effective options but not necessarily those that are best for the individual. As a matter of fact, many are dissatisfied with the way in which Medicare does this, however it tends to be not much different from the way in which most medical insurance companies operate.
As an elderly individual in the United States you must carry Medicare however, you'll likely find that if you have the means the best possible way to be sure that you have all the coverage that you need is to maintain your own full health insurance coverage policy as well. This will help to fill in any and all gaps that Medicare leaves and will find you feeling more financially secure when a health issue arises.
by: Ethan Kalvin
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