I made my initial inquiry about a surgical procedure abroad
I did so not knowing if my insurance would cover the cost, and even so, how much of the costs would be covered.
As it turns out, I did have sufficient coverage so that in this instance, I won’t need an alternative.
Having said that, I am 68 years old, in reasonably good health, and my wife is also 68 and is a two-time survivor of breast cancer, stage 3 (12 years ago).
The reason I bring this up is that with the recent US re-election of Obama, the law of the land is now Obamacare, and with it a $500,000,000,000 reduction in Medicare benefits for seniors.
In as much as current law prohibits private medical insurance for anyone over 65, Medicare is the only legit option for me and my wife.
And, for minor health issues like a sprained ankle, a cold/flu, the many clinics that operate from Houston area Walmart’s HEB, and other walk-in clinics make it reasonable to get those issues taken care of.
What worries me is what the situation will look like 10 or 15 years down the road, when I will be in the late ’70s or early ’80s. The reality is that 10,000 boomers are turning 65 every day in this country, and that number will remain fairly constant for the next 19 years.
That translates to 3,600,000 new Medicare patients each year, so over a 10 year period, 36,000,000 patients will be added to the Medicare rolls. And any senior who is not brain dead can do the math: more people chasing the same or fewer resources.
Seems like very little attention has been given to the number of boomer age doctors who will retire because of the new rules and requirements imposed on them. Data from the American Medical Association website states that approximately 15,000 doctors graduate from medical schools each year, a number that has remained flat for the past decade or more.
A gloomy picture for seniors who might need major healthcare treatment, such as an open heart operation, cancer treatment, or even common problems like hip replacements.
That’s why I am annually adding several thousand dollars each year into my medical savings account, which is even now fairly substantial. When the day comes, in the not too distant future, that an Obamacare review board tells me or my wife we can’t have the treatment we need because of our “quality of life” criteria, I will have the financial resources to contact you, and then go to where I can pay for what I need independently of Obamacare.
I suspect that there are thousands, if not millions of boomer seniors who feel the exact same way I do. I just pray for them that they are socking away enough cash to adequately cover their medical needs outside of Medicare.
Regards, and keep me informed,
Guest Writer
Houston, TX
