Please respond to the discussion below by supporting or expanding on the discussion using at least one scholarly reference:
When I worked at the bedside, I never paid attention to what insurance a patient had. I only knew when they spoke of it, or it was brought to my attention by my Case Manager. Now that I am a Case Manger myself, I have a whole new appreciation for my patient’s insurance. I need to work around and with their insurance to get them what they need.
There are the commercial insurances that people get from their jobs and then the social insurance that people obtained from the government programs. Medicare is for people who are 65 and above and for the disabled. Medicare Part A is automatically granted; however, Part B, C and D comes at the cost of the person. Because Medicare Part A is paid for by the government, there is real concern that the Medicare program will become bankrupt. All reserves will eventually run out to pay the claims to the hospitals (Lawrence, 2022).
Another concern for Medicare funding is that Americans are living longer, therefore there won’t be enough people in the work force contributing to the Medicare fund through their taxes. In addition to the rising health costs of doctors, tests and hospitals along with prescriiption drugs, it is rising much higher than the tax revenues. (Greenberg & Page. 2018).
Ultimately, I believe the social insurances are a good thing. It provides insurance to the elderly, disabled and the poor. The downside of Medicare is that you must get a supplemental insurance to cover the copayments. This is hard for people to afford. Many opt for the Managed Medicare where it is all bundled together, and a supplemental insurance is not needed. People pay less for that but there is a lot of red tape with that insurance and as a Case Manager, from experience it is not easy to work with. I find it humorous how people celebrate turning 65 years of age because they can get Medicare. It is often said, “I am Medicare age!” For most Americans, it is celebrated rite of passage.
