Certain politicians have been proposing the idea of Medicare for all. Sounds great, right? What they are not telling the public is that Medicare is not free. Consider Original Medicare 2019 :

Part A: Premiums: Less than 30 quarters working (Medicare taxes paid), $437 per month; 30-39 quarters working, $240 per month; over 40 quarters working, $0 per month.

Part B: Premiums: $135 to $460 per month, depending on income.

Part D: Premiums: Depends on the insurance company selected plus $0-$78 per month, depending on income.

Medigap insurance: Parts A and B only cover 80 percent. This covers the remaining 20 percent. Depending on which of the 13 plans selected, it costs $34-$248 per month.

Parts A, B and D have deductibles, copays and/or coinsurances. There are severe lifetime penalties if one delays getting Parts B and D. There is no maximum out-of-pocket per year. For example, the deductible for Part A is $1,364 per benefit period, and there can be several benefit periods per year.

Don’t forget the 7.65 percent the feds take out of every paycheck. Part of that goes to Medicare. With Medicare for all, it will go higher.

Consider the government’s record managing Social Security (estimated bankruptcy in 2034), Medicare (estimated bankruptcy in 2026) and the VA hospitals. The government’s latest foray into health insurance, the Affordable Care Act, has resulted in enormous increases in premiums and deductibles. Medicare for all. Is it for you?

Jim Talamo

South Greensburg

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