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medicare

Corona Virus Positives

Every cloud has a silver lining. Here are three positives that might come out of the Coronavirus pandemic. Telemedicine is finally being covered by Medicaire. Medicine comes into the 20th Century. It will be difficult to roll this one back after the crisis. Online teaching is being tried by millions. The teaching profession has resisted this technology for a generation. This crisis might break the logjam. The Buffet is over. Social distancing has taught us that the “sneeze guard” on the salad bar protects nothing.

A Short History of Medicine

“Doctor, I have an ear ache.” 2000 B.C. – “Here, eat this root.” 1000 B.C. – “That root is heathen, say this prayer.” 1850 A.D. – “That prayer is superstition, drink this potion.” 1940 A.D. – “That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill.” 1985 A.D. – “That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic.” 2000 A.D. – “That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!”

My ticket to the MEDICARE Buffet

It came in the mail yesterday and I can start using it on July 1st. “If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it is free.” P.J. O’Rourke

Medicare for Fun and Profit

About six months ago I started getting advertising in the mail about Medicare.  By now I’ve received about a hundred.  See the picture nearby.  According to politicians Medicare is going broke.  According to doctors Medicare doesn’t pay enough to reimburse costs. Follow the Money But according to where the insurance companies are spending their advertising dollars there is plenty of money to be made in selling medicare supplemental insurance.

Medicare Complexity Day One

Complexity thy name is Medicare or diving in donut holes. Except for joking about the “Medicare Buffet” I have put off thinking about Medicare its costs and its complications for as long as I can.  But now I’m within a hundred days of having to sign up and I’m starting to pay attention.  The first thing I discovered is that my countdown counter has been wrong about when I become eligible.  I am closer to the front of the buffet line than I thought.  It… Read More »Medicare Complexity Day One

800 days

In exactly 800 days I will be eligible for the medicare buffet.  I and about 3 million others will become eligible in 2012.   My hip is starting to hurt but I can wait and so can the rest of my cohort.  But rest assured that we will all be lining up for new knees and hips. Read more or click on my official countdown counter to the right of the simonburrow.com/ home page. So lets do the math.  Knee replacement surgery costs about $30,000… Read More »800 days