MEDICAID is NOT FREE! I was forced to take an early retirement. Medicaid cost was almost 50% of my net income!?

Question

To the people that think Medicaid is free to the public or paid by the government... It is not! I was forced to take a disability retirement before I was 55 years old due to my health. I purchased Medicaid from the Department of Workforce Services because I had no medical insurance. My Medicaid premium was $976.00 per month. My monthly gross income is under $2,000.00 my net retirement is $1,700.00. This was the first time in my life I have ever asked or needed financial assistance from the government and the first time I have ever been sick. I live in the state of Utah and had to learn the hard way that unless you are pregnant or single with children you cannot get medical health coverage for less than 35% of you income. Additionally, we have only one hospital in my town that will accept patients who are self-pay or on Medicaid which is McKay-Dee Hospital and the doctors or their PAs treat people without a higher income or insurance in an entirely different manner than those with money.

StephenWeinstein · Accepted Answer

I am not "pregnant or single with children" and I was able to "get medical health coverage for less than 35%" of my income, because I did not get it from medicaid.

Your mistake was getting it from medicaid.  You might be able to buy better insurance somewhere else for a lot less money.

Kini · Answer

You had a share of cost with Medicaid because your income was too high to qualify for it in the first place. It was not $976 every month. It is a deductible you pay in any month you want medical services. With an income of $1700 you dont qualify for Medicaid with no children. Your income as a single has to be around $900 a month. You are right that government aid is for families or unmarried pregnant girls not seniors.

car253 · Answer

Medicaid is for the poor.   That is too much income for a single person.   You might want to move to a place that provides 100% free medicaid.  But in other places, based on your income, you may not qualify at all. 

You can try some free or low cost community clinics.   Medicaid is for those that struggle to have food to eat.   And, those that are on the system and do not struggle for food are cheating.

Anonymous · Answer

Medicaid is run on a state by state basis.  It costs the government taxpayers, approximately $700 per month, per recipient.  Obviously, older, sicker people cost a lot more than younger, healthy people, but if you average it out among the roughly 25,000,000 Americans on Medicaid, that's what it works out to. 

When you apply for welfare health coverage for the poor, you have to 'qualify'  based on your household income, and your assets.  

You are "retired" at 55, on $24,000 a year income, JUST FOR YOU, for the rest of your life - which will likely be longer than you worked.  Who knows what kind of ASSETS you have, except judging from your share of cost, YOU HAVE ASSETS.  

Look at the bright side.  You're $976 a month is getting you ZERO copayment, ZERO coinsurance, and ZERO deductible - which is a hell of a lot better than the WORKING 55 year olds paying for your coverage, who are averaging $600 a month for their health insurance coverage on private insurance, or $400  through their employer, IF they don't have a spouse.

MEDICAID is NOT FREE! I was forced to take an early retirement. Medicaid cost was almost 50% of my net income!?

Related Questions

Trending Questions