Medicare
Aug 21st 2007, 8:35 am
#16
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,719
Re: Medicare
Are people generally pleased with the cover they get from Medicare - ie - are you able to see the consultant you want to see and if necessary, be treated by the best specialists at the best hospitals?
As you know, medical care varies tremendously geographically. I live in a relatively poor, rural area, and care is of dubious quality and sometimes oversubscribed for everyone - whether medicare enrollees or (like me) with an excellent employer provided plan. For instance, I recently had to wait three months for an initial consultation with a specialist.
That said, medicare enrollees get a level of care comparable with everyone else in the same town/region. My 86 year old mother in law lives in the same town as us, uses some of the same providers and gets a good level of care. Probably would be better in France or England, probably would be worse in Zimbabwe or Malaysia - but yes, you can go to the provider of your choice.
Robin
Aug 21st 2007, 9:22 am
#17
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,024
Re: Medicare
Rangdaa,
As you know, medical care varies tremendously geographically. I live in a relatively poor, rural area, and care is of dubious quality and sometimes oversubscribed for everyone - whether medicare enrollees or (like me) with an excellent employer provided plan. For instance, I recently had to wait three months for an initial consultation with a specialist.
That said, medicare enrollees get a level of care comparable with everyone else in the same town/region. My 86 year old mother in law lives in the same town as us, uses some of the same providers and gets a good level of care. Probably would be better in France or England, probably would be worse in Zimbabwe or Malaysia - but yes, you can go to the provider of your choice.
Robin
As you know, medical care varies tremendously geographically. I live in a relatively poor, rural area, and care is of dubious quality and sometimes oversubscribed for everyone - whether medicare enrollees or (like me) with an excellent employer provided plan. For instance, I recently had to wait three months for an initial consultation with a specialist.
That said, medicare enrollees get a level of care comparable with everyone else in the same town/region. My 86 year old mother in law lives in the same town as us, uses some of the same providers and gets a good level of care. Probably would be better in France or England, probably would be worse in Zimbabwe or Malaysia - but yes, you can go to the provider of your choice.
Robin
Typical wait for a simple doctor's appointment in the US (private/health insurance): 2-4 weeks
Typical wait to see a doctor in the UK: 60 minutes (just walk in and sit and wait any morning between 9 and 11)
The NHS: Priceless.
Aug 21st 2007, 9:28 am
#18
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Medicare
My experience:
Typical wait for a simple doctor's appointment in the US (no insurance)
5-30 mins..
without an appointment an hour ...
and always come out with at least $100 of drug samples
Typical wait for a simple doctor's appointment in the US (no insurance)
5-30 mins..
without an appointment an hour ...
and always come out with at least $100 of drug samples
Aug 21st 2007, 9:57 am
#19
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,024
Re: Medicare
I know, my doc was always trying to give me drug samples - think he must have been getting a kickback from the drug companies.
Aug 21st 2007, 10:10 am
#20
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Medicare
mine is not a new BP drug... old in fact...
but he stll give me a bunch to help me out financially... perhaps to just
his no insurance patience ...
Aug 21st 2007, 10:40 am
#21
And YOU'RE paying for it!
Joined: May 2007
Location: kipper tie?
Posts: 2,328
Re: Medicare
This stuff makes my head hurt. 
Aug 21st 2007, 10:58 am
#23
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,105
Re: Medicare
An agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom (U.K.) improves Social Security protection for people who work or have worked in both countries. It helps many people who, without the agreement, would not be eligible for monthly retirement, disability or survivors benefits under the Social Security system of one or both countries.
If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both U.S. and U.K. credits. However, to be eligible to have your U.K. credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the U.S. cannot count your U.K. credits.
Although the agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom allows the Social Security Administration to count your U.K. credits to help you qualify for U.S. retirement, disability or survivor benefits, the agreement doesn’t cover Medicare benefits. As a result, we cannot count your credits in the United Kingdom to establish entitlement to free Medicare hospital insurance.
http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agr...phlets/uk.html
If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both U.S. and U.K. credits. However, to be eligible to have your U.K. credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the U.S. cannot count your U.K. credits.
Although the agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom allows the Social Security Administration to count your U.K. credits to help you qualify for U.S. retirement, disability or survivor benefits, the agreement doesn’t cover Medicare benefits. As a result, we cannot count your credits in the United Kingdom to establish entitlement to free Medicare hospital insurance.
http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agr...phlets/uk.html
Aug 21st 2007, 3:26 pm
#24
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,109
Re: Medicare
The other thing is if you qualify for U.S. benefits without needing to use U.K. credits and receive a U.K. government pension the Windfall Elimination Provision is probably going to reduce your U.S. benefit.
Windfall Elimination Provision:
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10045.html
http://www.ssa.gov/international/Agr...phlets/uk.html
Look over the agreement and call the SSA's Office of International Programs at (410) 965-0144 if you have questions on benefits under the agreement. For questions on the coverage rules of the agreement, call (410) 965-3549.
Aug 21st 2007, 11:04 pm
#26
In the pink
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,324
Re: Medicare
But here is an example of the reciprocal agreement. I have a friend in the US, who had worked here for about 12 years, and suddenly became disabled. She gets a disability cheque from SS. About 2 years ago she was notified about the reciprocal agreement, and they added some years to her length of work time in the USA (to make up for the work years in UK). This added some extra money to her SS disability cheque.
Aug 22nd 2007, 9:08 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 45
Re: Medicare
All,
Thanks very much for taking the trouble to reply. It does seem much more complicated than I had imagined.
Thanks very much for the links - I will go and read them now.
Thanks very much for taking the trouble to reply. It does seem much more complicated than I had imagined.
Thanks very much for the links - I will go and read them now.
