In reply to Barry.

The key word is "covered hospital expenses". They simply say "Oh, that's not covered, and for what we do cover, we only pay 3¢ for what you're billing at $1."

The hospital and doctors can then wish in one hand for the other 97¢, and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first.

Medicare, and uninsured patients is why your Tylenol costs 15 fucking dollars on the bill for a 10¢ tablet. Your insurance is paying for Grampa, and uninsured Julio. And has been since the 1960s. If nobody in your entire life has ever dropped that penny for you, let me be the first.

Anybody who tells you Medicare covers actual costs is dropping serious acid.

Medicare covers Jack and Shit. Ask around. WTF do you think doctor after doctor hangs out the "Not accepting Medicare patients" shingle? It's fucking driving them out of business. It's like telling McDonald's that a cheeseburger is covered, but you'll only pay the 1962 price for it. Forever.

See if you can guess how small that cheeseburger would get under that system.

Ask around and read up. If Medicare was paying out, doctors would be falling all over themselves to get on that gravy train. They're not, and never have been.

In fact, they're quitting the field in droves. That's why they have to hold a gun to docs' heads to get them to go into general practice and family medicine. The only money is in specialization.

You're so misinformed on that point it's tragic.