I wonder how much medicare costs would be cut if people were allowed to use COBRA?

[LuvOrlando]

I saw in the documentation I got that a person is forbidden to opt out of Medicare for a number of reasons including the size of a spouse's business and if the spouse ends up on COBRA.

These mechanisms seem to protect insurance carriers but hurt the person because they are prohibited from choosing coverage and hurt the US by shifting a loan to the taxpayers. I call it a loan because the thing about Medicare is it is really just a loan that costs taxpayers a ton of money because when you activate Medicare you lose the ability to choose many things and then, in the end, you or your estate gats billed for it anyway so it hijacks your wallet.

The other thing about Medicare is it tends to gobble up many people's entire Social Security Payments so if you get $1000 and you need to pay $250 in taxes and then your premium is $500 you aren't really getting any help.

The more I read the stranger it is because disabled people are forced into the coverage for hospitalizations no matter what, and that bit is the strangest part there is.

 

[Marrila]

I saw in the documentation I got that a person is forbidden to opt out of Medicare for a number of reasons including the size of a spouse's business and if the spouse ends up on COBRA.

These mechanisms seem to protect insurance carriers but hurt the person because they are prohibited from choosing coverage and hurt the US by shifting a loan to the taxpayers. I call it a loan because the thing about Medicare is it is really just a loan that costs taxpayers a ton of money because when you activate Medicare you lose the ability to choose many things and then, in the end, you or your estate gats billed for it anyway so it hijacks your wallet.

The other thing about Medicare is it tends to gobble up many people's entire Social Security Payments so if you get $1000 and you need to pay $250 in taxes and then your premium is $500 you aren't really getting any help.

The more I read the stranger it is because disabled people are forced into the coverage for hospitalizations no matter what, and that bit is the strangest part there is.

Huh? One of the most peculiar posts I've ever read.

 

[MartyParty]

Well...I'll bite. Not going to get into the whole political debate here of red and blue. Instead, I'll just keep it green as in money.

I've been at a constant risk of a job layoff for several years now. Fingers crossed this isn't the year. Last I checked of COBRA for a family the cost was about $2,500 a month or $30,000 a year. Ouch. And COBRA only lasts for 18 months, so that would have to change.

 

[EACarlson]

I saw in the documentation I got that a person is forbidden to opt out of Medicare for a number of reasons including the size of a spouse's business and if the spouse ends up on COBRA.

These mechanisms seem to protect insurance carriers but hurt the person because they are prohibited from choosing coverage and hurt the US by shifting a loan to the taxpayers. I call it a loan because the thing about Medicare is it is really just a loan that costs taxpayers a ton of money because when you activate Medicare you lose the ability to choose many things and then, in the end, you or your estate gats billed for it anyway so it hijacks your wallet.

The other thing about Medicare is it tends to gobble up many people's entire Social Security Payments so if you get $1000 and you need to pay $250 in taxes and then your premium is $500 you aren't really getting any help.

The more I read the stranger it is because disabled people are forced into the coverage for hospitalizations no matter what, and that bit is the strangest part there is.

Very few people would choose to use COBRA as it's almost entirely cost prohibitive, especially if you had good insurance. My mother took a sabbatical and paid COBRA for 16 months. She decided she had to go back to work for a year until she hit 65 and would qualify for Medicare. My FIL did the same thing, he kept working right up until the day he qualified for Medicare.

 

[tvguy]

Some day I may add up all the money I paid into Medicare, and how much money my employer and I paid into Social Security,

I paid into both for exactly 50 years. It is NOT a loan. It is MY money. I doubt I will get all the money I paid in back.