why do some people assume that medicare is some sort of freebie

I was one of those people who actually thought that this insurance was a free one until I got old enough to get it. Now I see that it cost as much or more than insurance you get through your company you work for. I pay more than $1,000 a month for this insurance and still have to pay for some things. You don't get your glasses for free you pay for them just like everyone else does. You don't get dental work done for free, you have to pay for that too.If your lucky you will find a doctor who will bill your "Other" insurance for the co-pay. And as for my meds. my "Other" insurance pays that or else I would have to. It's not at all what most think it is. I was mislead into thinking our government was giving us something when the truth be known they are benefiting from it. Who else pays more than $1,000 a month for insurance that has a gap in it? And during that time they still get paid. The pay for Medicare is automatically taken from your Social Security BEFORE you receive it. Yeah they made sure they get their money before you do. Everyone needs to take a closer look at things before they asss-u-me like I did that this was a "freebie" from our government. After 66 years of living we should have known "Nothing is FREE in the USA" Somehow they will see to that.

Hi Hatley I am from the UK so I am not aware of Medicare, however I had someone on here when I asked about the pros and cons of renting out a room for extra income and they replied 'go get a job' I already work but as I had a spare room was toying with the idea. I also before my children had two or three jobs on the go at one time to pay the mortgage etc. so any help I received I would say I had payed into for also. Ellie :D

I agree with you 100%. It is not a freebie I have paid into the Medicare fund for many years and nothing about it is free I am just glad I have an expensive supplementary insurance to pick up all the (free!!!) amounts you have to pay yourself. There is absolutely nothing free about Medicare.

In this country, Medicare is available to low income earners. Those that can afford it have private health insurance...I think that's a bit ridiculous but that's another discussion. I believe we all have a basic right to be well. It shouldn't only be those who are wealthy who can afford medical services.

I think some people get confused between medicare and medicaid. Medicaid is for low income people and helps with health care and dental care for famililies that can't afford it. It is based on your income and some families do pay for it...It isn't always free. Medicare is entirely different. You pay for that through your earnings and it shows on everyones paycheck stubs. Most people with medicare also need a supplemental insurance to cover themselves. It is not a freebie and you deserve it and you have earned it. Ignore those that are ignorant to the difference, Hatley. You KNOW that it is not a freebie.

i think that the poster to which you are refering is wrong in her statement. i was on medicare most of my teen years and for a short time during my adult life. this program is not a freebe program. its designed for low income house holds that cant get good medical care otherwise. it has nothing to do with taking better care of your money. many familys work can only get jobs that are part time and they need help, speciffically in this case, medically. so my question back to this poster would be "so the people who have low income and cant get medical attention with out help should take better care of thier money thats already budgeted for thier common household needs like...a home, food, body care products, clothing, electricity, phone and other such things should funnel money away from these so called 'nessesities' and put it tward medical care. theres a smart idea. we dont have heat or electricity...but we have kick butt medical care, by the way where is our next meal comming from and are the seems on my last shirt supposed to tear like that?" how bout this...try researching the program yourself so you know what your talking about so you dont offend a whole demographic.

Its a good thing you had sign up or become a member for it..here in our country if you are a permanent employee you are compelled to be part of it..and i guess its our contribution while working that finances us when we are sick or something to that effect..it helps a lot though...

Hatley, my husband pays more Medicare taxes than he does federal income taxes. It is not a hand out, you and your husband has worked hard and paid your dues to be able to use it and have some health security.

You have nothing to apologize for. Medicare doesn't even cover everything, and that is why people have to have things like Secure Horizons. My grandparents do as well. They worked until their late 60s, but that doesn't mean people amass so much money they can just cast aside help like Medicare. It's not a freebie. And anyone who says otherwise is ignorant of the situation. The only way people can afford to do without things like that is if they had very high paying jobs when they were going through life. And even then life can take a turn where your money has to go to a crisis in the family. There are no guarantees. Not even with Medicare.

Medicare is by no means free. I am disabled, I worked from the time I was 11, doing one job or another, I paid taxes from 15 on, When I became unable to work, I had to fight our SS administration for 5 long years, with the Dr's they sent me to saying I was not able to work. I was finally approved last year, after I had already lost my home, car and everything else I had worked for years to get. Now I have my disability, and pay almost a hundred dollars a month for medicare, or should I say another version of it, I chose to get one of the private policies, but it is the same cost either way. Free, I don't think so. People who have worked all their lives have earned what little bit we get, and I do mean little. I wish I could still work, my 5 children would be much better off, and so would I. No not free.

Medicare is NOT free and after all the years that I paid into it, I am still having to lose some out of my social security to CONTINUE paying 96 dollars a month for it. WHO said it was free? Even after you have to go on medicare(65 years), you still can't afford to use it unless you can afford a supplemental policy. Medicare only pays 80% of the bill and I can't afford the supplemental to take care of the other 20%. Besides that, Medicare doesn't pay for some of the most essential items that the elderly need. It is a fact that, with age, your eyesight might fade, your hearing goes, and teeth need fixing. Guess what! Medicare doesn't pay for any of those things. You might say it gets you in the hospital door then only God can help you, if you can't afford supplemental to take care of the rest.

In my country each month the certain amount is taken away from out paychecks for the medicare, so every person can go to the hospital and most of the charges, cares and medicines will be covered by that money. I have heard that in norther Europe the medicare is organized even better. Without medicare doctors cost so much that just a few days in hospital and few test would cost more than most of the people earn in a month so I think it's better to put aside some money each month than to have to pay everything at once if something bad happens.

Anybody who has worked has paid into the Medicare fund and so has their employer(s). Anybody who has worked has also paid into the Social Security fund and so has their employer(s). When you reach a certain age, you are then supposed to be eligible to use Medicare coverage or receive social security benefits. These benefits apply to anybody who has worked over a certain minimum of years or earned a certain dollar total. I think the only way that an older person would not be eligible for Medicare and/or social security would be if they had never worked, did not have enough hours worked to qualify, or were not a legal citizen in which case they shouldn't qualify for benefits anyway. If Medicare still exists when I am old enough to qualify, you can bet I will use it. I don't see why not since I have paid into the fund in the past. I doubt there will be anything left of social security by the time I reach the age to qualify, but I would have no issue in accepting that either, I paid into that and it was my money that was supposed to be put away for me to help me in the future. I think people are confusing Medicare with MEDI-CAL (or Medicaid) - or state sponsored programs that help with health care for disadvantaged or poor people and non citizens. They mostly only cover certain eligible children but in some cases will cover disabled adults and pregnant women.

Whoever thinks medicare is a freebie doesn't know anything about it. Medicare is not a freebie. Medicare Part A is free only if you've worked 40 quarters and paid into Plan A. It's for hospital coverage and only 80% of whats allowed is paid. The 20% is paid by the client. The Medicare Part B premium for 2008 is at least $96.40. There's a 2008 $135 deductible and after that's met, medicare only pays 80% of what's allowed and the client is responsible for the other 20%. Pland D for prescription coverage is another separate payment. The 2008 deductibe is $275 and after that, there's copayments and the donut whole. So, there's a big chunk of money coming out of your pocket just being on medicare. Even when you have a medicare advantage hmo plan, you still pay the monthly premium and any additional premiums required by the hmo. You still have to meet the Plan D deductible. Does this sound like a freebie? If someone think so, then they don't know what freebies are. Maybe they got medicare confused with sthe state medicaid program. No one pays for medicaid except taxpayers. If they got confused, then they should get their facts straight before they start start talking something they don't know anything about.

I do not know what Medicare is as I do not believe that we have that here in the UK but I have to say I think People need to think before they say People are not working for a reason when they are on Disability and things like that I would give anything to go back to work as I worked from the age of 16 till 5 years ago when I was diagnosed No one can say I am living of them as I paid my Taxes and Insurance all those years and it makes me angry when People say things without thinking

I agree with you that you did earn it and as a matter of fact paid into it as you were working. Somebody must be misinformed what medicare is about or they are confusing it with medicaid. But even medicaid is for the one's that don't earn enough money for health insurance.

In this day and age of outsourcing services and user fees and all the extra charges of just having a cold, I really don't think there's enough health coverage in the world to meet anyone's needs should something seriously go wrong. People are bankrupted every day by the cost of health care over and above their insurance. So to those who think medicare or any other coverage at 'reduced' prices is taking advantage or whatever their complaint is, I have only one thing to say to them: and I don't mean that in a friendly way! You do whatever you feel is necessary to protect yourself Hatley. As you said - you worked for and you earned your stripes!

That's because many people do not understand the medical benefits they are eligible for when they turn 65 or in coming years 66 and then 67 etc. The writer was confusing Medical or Medicaid with Medicare. The part of retirement reimbursement that is dependent upon working is RSDS or Social Security reimbursement. Anyone who comes of age is eligible for Medicare. Medicare is funded solely by the Federal Government while Medicaid is funded in part by the Federal Government and in part by the State where the person resides when applying for this benefit. Many people do not pay into Social Security at a high enough level and then qualify for SSI which is a supplemental security insurance. The amount that a person gets per month is once again based upon their need. Most people who work are paying for all of these services because our taxes generate the funds.