Medical insurance is complex and can NEVER be simplified into slogans such as Medicare-for-All. Medicare is not free. If you’re unfamiliar with the financial costs of life on Medicare, here are the details from my mother’s last full year on the planet, 2017. 1/

$112 was deducted from my her monthly social security check for Medicare medical insurance (Part B). That was the STANDARD Part B premium that year. In 2019 it is $135.50. 2/

Because Medicare does not cover your medical expenses 100%, she elected to buy Medicare Supplemental Insurance coverage (aka Medigap policy). This was $298 per month. 3/

She remitted a $67 premium each month for Medicare Part D Prescription coverage. In addition, she averaged about $300 per month in deductibles and co-pays for her prescriptions. 4/

Medicare does not cover everything. There are copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. Some expenses do not even qualify, such as:
Dentist - NO
Eye Exams for prescriptive lenses - NO
Dentures - NO
Hearing aids and related exams - NO 5/

My mother’s typical monthly healthcare outlay was $777 as a single person.

So as politicians attach a “Medicare For All” slogan to medical insurance, the media and American people have got to start demanding the details on how this will be paid for. Nothing is FREE. 6/

How much does Part A (Hospital insurance) cost?
Most people get premium-free Part A. But if you don’t qualify, you’ll pay $437 per month if you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, and $240 per month if you paid Medicare taxes for 30 – 39 quarters. 7/

How much does Part B (Medical insurance) cost?
In 2019, the std Part B premium is $135.50/month. It's automatically deducted if you receive retirement benefit from Soc Sec, Railroad Retirement Board, or OPM. But upward adjustment is made to premium depending on your income. 8/

How much does Part D (Rx ins) cost?
You'll make payments throughout the year in a Medicare Part D plan:
•Premium
•Yearly deductible
•Copayments or coinsurance
Actual drug plan costs vary substantially depending on plan, drugs you use, in network, drug in formulary. 9/

Universal coverage in a federal govt-managed medical program designed to manage its financial, delivery, and outcome well-being is highly desirable if you believe health care should be provided to all the humans in our nation, at each stage of their life. 10/

It is part of our journey toward a more perfect union. 11/

If you believe health care is a privilege that “some people” just can’t qualify for, then you are lacking the compassion and care an intelligent, social society requires to successfully coexist and to move forward and make progress. 12/

Progress can be measured in so many different veins. But the United States has been a leader on the world stage for many decades, from the industrial revolution to the technology revolution, space exploration, science discoveries, and higher education. 13/

We have to continuously pay attention to the development of our communities. We all must have our health to do this: physical, environmental, and financial. Simplifying how we pay for medical care thru a universally-managed system is the progressive step we must undertake. /end