Medicare law needs to be amended to allow voluntary surrender of benefits NOW

[TwixVoy]

The dems should be pushing through an amendment RIGHT NOW that allows a person to verbally voluntarily surrender medicare benefits permanently on demand.

Then the law needs to be used for EVERY senior who wants to shoot their mouth off about "I don't want government medical!". Every time they are caught on camera screaming at a congress person telling them this WE NEED TO OBLIGE THEM. If they say they don't want government health care then we take it away. Give them exactly what they ask for.

Bet you the "we don't want government in medical care" bull shit would stop pretty damn fast.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Verbally? Not gonna happen. But you really could set up an opt-out clause, I should think.

[Cleita]

3. There is an opt out clause. You don't have to use it. Just pay cash.

Also, if you can get an insurance company to cover you, Medicare says fine, go with the private insurer. The only thing that can not be opted out of is paying into it before you retire. If that happened Medicare wouldn't work then because it operates on the principle of shared risk.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Thanks for the info. It makes sense that it would work that way. I wonder how

many people actually opt out and why?

[Cleita]

10. Very few because they reach an age that no one will insure them and they

have to be very rich to pay cash for everything. So all those old farts complaining at the Town Halls are being fed a line of bull and some don't even realize that Medicare is a government operated social program.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. I was under the impression that you could opt out of the benefits by simply not signing up for it.

You actually have to enroll in Medicare and you can start the paperwork when you are 64 and 1/2. I would assume that if you never do it you never receive the card.

[Generic Other]

6. This is true...retired military never used to sign up for it

because they had full coverage already. Now I think they are forced to sign up and the military picks up the part medicare doesn't.

And as far as I am concerned, less than 100% coverage is unacceptable for any of us--especially seniors. We pay enough in taxes to have 100% universal healthcare for our citizens.

[Cleita]

4. I know some very rich people who neither sign up for Social Security nor

Medicare. They just pay cash for their medical. But only very rich people can afford that luxury.

[glinda]

7. I think rich people should not be able to get medicare at all. That is unless they start

paying up their share of things and quit being able to write off everything.

[FLDCVADem]

8. Then they

shouldn't have to pay into it, either.

[Cleita]

9. We need their contribution to the pot and will need them even more so as national

health care gets extended to all. They have a right to partake in a program they pay into. I am surprised that progressives who don't think a thing about sharing the fire department and police with the rich, suddenly don't want them to receive their share of SS and Medicare. If they lift the cap on FICA the rich will pay more into those programs than they will ever get back. Sorry, but if we don't give them the option of partaking, then they will make sure these programs are pushed over the cliff because they have the money and power to do so.

[glinda]

13. Am for them taking as long as they give. Period.

[walldude]

11. Fuck voluntary. Take it from them.

They claim they don't want it. Fine take it from them. Hell I'd like to take away the free medical care from any politician who votes against my getting the same quality care at a price.

[FLDCVADem]

12. Congressmen

don't get free health care.