Medicare Breakdown

Medicare For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781119293392) was previously published as Medicare For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781119079422). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product. Make your way through the Medicare maze with help from For Dummies America's baby boomers are now turning 65 at the rate of about 10,000 a day. Yet very few have any idea about how Medicare works, when they should sign up, or how the program fits in with other health insurance they may have. Medicare For Dummies, 2nd Edition provides a detailed road map for navigating Medicare's often-baffling complexities and helps consumers avoid pitfalls that could otherwise cost them dearly. In plain language, the new edition explains: How to qualify for Medicare, according to your personal circumstances, including new information on the rights of people in same-sex marriages When to sign up at the time that’s right for you, to avoid lifelong late penalties How to weigh Medicare’s many options so you can be confident of making the decision that's best for you What Medicare covers and what you pay, with up-to-date details of the costs of premiums, deductibles, and copays—and how you may be able to reduce those expenses By conveying not only the basics but also how to troubleshoot problems and where to find assistance, Medicare For Dummies, 2nd Edition helps you to get the most out of Medicare.

Medicare can be a nightmare to understand. I've helped over 5,000 Baby Boomers navigate this journey and I hope this book can help you too!

On July 30, 1965, President Johnson flew to Independence, Missouri to sign the Medicare bill. The new statute included two related insurance programs to finance substantial portions of the hospital and physician expenses incurred by Americans over the age of sixty-five. Public attempts to improve American health standards have typically precipitated bitter debate, even as the issue has shifted from the professional and legal status of physicians to the availability of hospital care and public health programs. In The Politics of Medicare, Marmor helps the reader understand Medicare's origins, and he interprets the history of the program and explores what happened to Medicare politically as it turned from a legislative act in the mid-1960s to a major program of American government in the three decades since. This is a vibrant study of an important piece of legislation that asks and answers several questions: How could the American political system yield a policy that simultaneously appeased anti-governmental biases and used the federal government to provide a major entitlement? How was the American Medical Association legally overcome yet placated enough to participate in the program? And how did the Medicare law emerge so enlarged from earlier proposals that themselves had caused so much controversy?

Why has medical care become so complicated--and expensive? Not very long ago, an individual would visit a doctor to be treated for an illness that could not be "cured" by one of Grandma's "recipes." Whether it was a sore throat, earache, or digestive pain, Grandma usually had some homespun "medicine" to deal with a common health issue. And if Grandma's "medicine chest" was not able to deal with a family member's illness, a neighborhood doctor was usually available to treat working families at his office, or he would make a house call for a reasonable fee. Fast-forward to today. Is the current system of providing medical care, namely, through employer-based insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare, the optimal methods to provide high-quality, low-cost care to all Americans? The answer is a resounding no. Universal Medical Care from Conception to End of Life: The Case for a Single-Payer System explains why the current system of employer-based insurance and government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare are financially untenable and yields less than optimal outcomes for patients. Yet there are calls for more top-down approaches to medical care, most notably by Senator Bernie Sanders, who has campaigned for the presidency on a Medicare for All program, essentially putting all Americans under one medical umbrella, where the government would set all the parameters for medical care. Under the individual single-payer system outlined in Sabrin's manifesto, every American adult would be in charge of his or her medical coverage. There would be no more conflicts regarding insurance companies or the government paying for abortion, contraception, and other controversial medical procedures and medications. In a free market, every adult--the single payer--would pay for what he/she needs to achieve optimal health.

Confused about Medicare’s drug coverage? You’re not alone. Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage For Dummies explains Part D in plain English and shows you how to find the best deal among numerous drug-coverage plan options. Whether you’re new to Medicare or already in the program, you’ll navigate the system with more ease and confidence, avoid pitfalls and scams, and have plenty of help choosing the plan that’s right for you. This easy-to-understand, consumer-friendly guide helps you find out whether Part D affects any drug coverage you already have and weigh the consequences of going without coverage. You’ll find ways to compare plans, identify the one that covers your drugs at the least cost, and make sure you sign up at the right time. And you’ll learn how to minimize your expenses, use the “right” pharmacies, and troubleshoot any problems with your coverage. Discover how to: Decide whether you need Part D Understand how Part D works, from costs to coverage Choose and enroll in the best plan for you Get up and running with Part D Handle the coverage gap Lower your drug costs Join and switch plans Comply with long-term-care rules and rights Challenge plan decisions Avoid scams and hard-sell marketing Now, more than ever, you need clear, reliable information that helps you understand Part D and make smart, cost-saving healthcare decisions. You need Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage For Dummies.

The Canadian health care system is so indisputably tied to our national identity that its founder, Tommy Douglas, was voted the greatest Canadian of all time in a CBC television contest. However, very little has been written to date on how Medicare as we know it was developed and implemented. This collection fills a serious gap in the existing literature by providing a comprehensive policy history of Medicare in Canada. Making Medicare features explorations of the experiments that predated the federal government’s decision to implement the Saskatchewan health care model, from Newfoundland’s cottage hospital system to Bennettcare in British Columbia. It also includes essays by key individuals (including health practitioners and two premiers) who played a role in the implementation of Medicare and the landmark Royal Commission on Health Services. Along with political scientists, policy specialists, medical historians, and health practitioners, this collection will appeal to anyone interested in the history and legacy of one of Canada’s most visible and centrally important institutions.

Contents: the economic outlook (the state of the economy; past mistakes and future risks); the budget outlook (outlook for the deficit or surplus; debt and deficit); the revenue outlook (risks to the revenue estimates); the spending outlook (discretionary spending). Appendices include: the economy's effect on the budget, budget resolution targets and actual outcomes, 1980-1997; the Federal sector of the national income and product accounts, historical budget data, Medicare projections, Medicaid and the state children's health insurance program, and projections of national health expenditures. Charts and tables.