Fox News’ Hasselbeck: Obamacare is hurting ‘many’ elderly pregnant women by Niki2

Keep the Shiny side up

Might want to check the facts on this.

Medicare pays for maternity care for folks who qualify. Women on Social Security Disability qualify for Medicare, regardless of age.

http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-05-2009/ask_ms_medi
care_question_57_.html

So if the doctor of a pregnant woman on SS Disability is dropped, she either has to pay any costs that would have been covered by Medicare Advantage, or change to a covered doctor.

Seems like it might be a legit concern to me.

ETA:

Checking SSA;s data, there are pretty close to a million women of child-bearing age (depending on where you cut off), http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2011/sect01b.html#tabl
e4

Considering that the U.S. pregnancy rate is around 100 per thousand women, that'd be 100,000 pregnancies for women under SS Disability per year. http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20091014/us-pregnancy-rate-is-dropping

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 2:51 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286412/Worlds-oldest-mother-R
ajo-Devi-Lohan-reveals-dying.html

Ok, I'm confused. United Healthcare "dropped" these doctors, but the Medicare Advantage program doesn't offer maternity coverage, so the point is moot.

And could someone please explain to me, how a 65 year old woman can be pregnant.......help me out here Niki.

Hasselbeck hasn't got a clue. Could someone please buy her a vowel!

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Quote:
Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck said Monday that Obamacare is hurting elderly women, 65 and older, who are “expecting babies.”

“Fox & Friends” spoke with Fox Business host Stuart Varney on the subject of Americans having to change physicians because “United Healthcare has just dropped — we don’t know exactly how many — but thousands of doctors have been dropped from United Heathcare’s Medicare Advantage program.”

“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

According to United Healthcare, Medicare Advantage customers are not offered maternity coverage. http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/womens-health/fox-news-elisabeth
-hasselbeck-obamacare-hurting-65-year-old-pregnant-women#]

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 3:03 PM

WISHIMAY

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 3:05 PM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Quote:
Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck said Monday that Obamacare is hurting elderly women, 65 and older, who are “expecting babies.”

“Fox & Friends” spoke with Fox Business host Stuart Varney on the subject of Americans having to change physicians because “United Healthcare has just dropped — we don’t know exactly how many — but thousands of doctors have been dropped from United Heathcare’s Medicare Advantage program.”

“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

According to United Healthcare, Medicare Advantage customers are not offered maternity coverage. http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/womens-health/fox-news-elisabeth
-hasselbeck-obamacare-hurting-65-year-old-pregnant-women#]

Im guessing this is one of their patented "some people say" stories...

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 4:38 PM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Geezer is partly correct, tho' the original story is still funny.

First of all, the discussion was about Medicare Advantage plans, not Medicare. Geezer addressed Medicare, which is not the issue.

Medicare Advantage is a type of Medicare offered by private companies (NOT regular Medicare) to people over 65 years of age. Medicare Advantage covers traditional Medicare plus additional services, but customers must pay a premium. It’s not clear how many women over the age of 65 anticipate getting pregnant, but United Healthcare does offer maternity coverage to Medicare Advantage customers.

The only women under 65 who would be buying Medicare Advantage would be those on Disability, as far as I know. I'm not sure, but I rather doubt many women on Disability could afford Medicare Advantage insurance, given Disability doesn't pay for shit to begin with and people on Disability get Medicare partly because it's understood they can't afford health insurance in the private market.

But as it aired on FauxNews, it went like this:

Quote:
“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 9:33 PM

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Medicare Advantage is a type of Medicare offered by private companies (NOT regular Medicare) to people over 65 years of age.

Wrong. Medicare advantage is available to anyone who qualifies for Medicare, including folks on SSDI. http://medicareunder65.com/ssdi-and-medicare/

Quote:
The only women under 65 who would be buying Medicare Advantage would be those on Disability, as far as I know. I'm not sure, but I rather doubt many women on Disability could afford Medicare Advantage insurance, given Disability doesn't pay for shit to begin with and people on Disability get Medicare partly because it's understood they can't afford health insurance in the private market.

Not too sure about that. Per WIki, "Only about 3% of Original Medicare beneficiaries make no supplemental arrangements."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_%28United_States%29

So as noted earlier, there are around a million women of child-bearing age on SSDI. apparently most of them are paying for some form of Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage). If they want their GP involved in their pregnancy, and the GP is dropped from their provider's Part C coverage plan, they will have to find another doctor.

The way Fox News presented it may be "funny" to you, but it will still be a serious issue for some prospective mothers.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 21, 2013 9:23 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Sigh....Geezer, you really need to check your facts. There are two different things:

Medicare SUPPLEMENTAL insurance (also called Medigap)...we've got it, it's cheap, for a monthly premium, it covers WHATEVERS LEFT AFTER MEDICARE (which only pays 80%, remember). There are cheaper and more expensive kinds...the cheap kind has a huge deductible/co-pay/annual limit, etc., the more expensive kinds have lower ones. I just went through this whole process 'cuz I just turned 65; believe me, I've learned this stuff, I had a representative help me through it, and we wouldn't even consider Medicare Advantage, it was too expensive. Because

Medicare ADVANTAGE is the most expensive kind of Medicare supplemental insurance, it covers both Medicare AND things Medicare doesn't as well as covering whatever's left over after Medicare.

BOTH OF THESE ARE OFFERED BY PRIVATE COMPANIES, not Medicare itself (as in, not the government).

Quote:
Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans," are offered by private companies approved by Medicare. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you still have Medicare . You'll get your Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) coverage from the Medicare Advantage Plan and not Original Medicare. http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/medicare-health-plans/med
icare-advantage-plans/how-medicare-advantage-plans-work.html]

Yes, most of us buy some kind of Medicare supplement if we can afford it at all, because Medicare can still leave you vulnerable to something catastrophic taking away your home, etc. So yes, if you can manage it, anyone wants some kind of supplement to Medicare...but MEDICARE ADVANTAGE (which is what this article was about) is much more expensive.

Here: TRY to read this, and maybe we'll be debating the same thing:

Quote:
Q. What's the difference between a medigap plan and a Medicare Advantage plan? I've heard both described as insurance that is "supplemental" to Medicare.

A. There are very big differences between these two types of insurance, although both are options for people with Medicare. Technically, only medigap counts as "Medicare supplemental insurance" — in fact, that's its formal name — but Medicare Advantage plans may provide some extra benefits that could be considered as supplementing Medicare.

Medigap can be used only by people enrolled in traditional Medicare. It is not a government-run program, but private insurance you can purchase to cover some or most of your out-of-pocket expenses in traditional Medicare. These may include Part B costs, like the 20 percent you'd otherwise pay for physician visits and other outpatient services, the Part A hospital deductible (currently $1,100 for each hospital benefit period), most of the cost of medical emergencies abroad and certain other outlays, depending on which kind of policy you choose. Each of the 10 types of medigap policies is standardized by law — meaning the benefits of each are the same, regardless of which insurer sells it. But insurers still charge widely different premiums, so it pays to shop around.

Medicare Advantage comprises a variety of private health plans — most often HMOs and PPOs. Every plan must cover all the same benefits that traditional Medicare covers. But the plans can charge different copayments (often lower than the traditional program but not always) and offer extra benefits. Most charge a monthly premium in addition to the Part B premium. Some cover routine hearing and vision services, usually as a separate package for an additional premium. Another difference from the traditional program is that most plans require you to go to doctors and other providers within their service network or pay higher copays for going out of network.

Note: If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage health plan you cannot, by law, also purchase a medigap policy, even though you still have out-of-pocket expenses under that health plan. If you stay in traditional Medicare, you would need to join a separate Part D plan to get prescription drug coverage and pay an extra premium for it. And medigap does not cover out-of-pocket drug expenses. http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-09-2010/ask_ms_medi
care__question_87.html

They are two different things. You either get Medicare and Medigap, OR Medicare Advantage. They have different rules. Yes, "Medicare advantage is available to anyone who qualifies for Medicare, including folks on SSDI", we'd have loved to have Medicare Advantage, but it's too expensive, and I would imagine it's too expensive for anyone on Medicare because Disability doesn't pay shit, as I explained. I'm sure there are some, but I doubt there are very many. If Disability is your only income, I'd be amazed if many can afford Medicare Advantage. People on Social Security, on the other hand, can have as much money as they want, or still be earning a salary, and still get Social Security and Medicare.

"Only about 3% of Original Medicare beneficiaries make no supplemental arrangements." Yes, but BOTH ARE "supplemental insurance" to Medicare...find out how many women on SSDI (which would be the only ones under 65) are on Medicare ADVANTAGE, and you have a starting point.

So Medicare Advantage is DIFFERENT from Medigap/Medicare, do you understand? We have MediGap, which means we'd have to get separate coverage for vision, dental and prescription (remember Part D?). So we'd be paying one premium to Medicare (out of our SSI), another to our Medigap private company, another for vision/dental and yet another for prescription. We opted out of the vision/dental because it's a total ripoff (I can give you details if you like, it's actually pretty amusing) and we're stuck with the Part D because, despite me only taking one medication which only costs $18 a month, IF we ever need expensive prescriptions, we'd have to pay the premium for the Part D FROM THE DAY WE WERE ELIGIBLE. Given it's $15/month each, we opted for it. I NEVER reach the "annual deductible" which would have it pay anything on my one prescription, because the annual deductible is $310 a year...I almost didn't have my cataract surgery because it required three eye drops, each over $100 individually, so none would have been covered.

Medicare ADVANTAGE includes all these things together, you still pay for Medicare, and an additional premium to cover the rest. It's kind of the "Cadillac of Medicare supplements". I'm not going to take the time to look up the difference in costs between the two because you have to go through a bunch of stuff, just like any health insurance, to come up with figures. You're welcome to; you will find that Medicare Advantage is very expensive compared to just about any Medigap available. We aced Medicare Advantage instantly and I spent the rest of my time trying to find a Medigap we could afford and learning about dental/vision and Part D.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 21, 2013 10:19 PM

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
I'm sure there are some, but I doubt there are very many.

But you really don't know, and do understand that the issue isn't really 'elderly' pregnant women, but those on SSDI, yet you still try to defend your orignal, and still wrong, post.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 22, 2013 8:33 AM

M52NICKERSON

DALEK!

Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
I'm sure there are some, but I doubt there are very many.

But you really don't know, and do understand that the issue isn't really 'elderly' pregnant women, but those on SSDI, yet you still try to defend your orignal, and still wrong, post.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

The post was about what was said on FOX and friends, which was elderly pregnant women.

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 22, 2013 8:46 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

The story is about

Quote:
“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

There is nothing that NEEDS defending. They tried to make a point out of ignorance. It was ridiculous. It's over; I explained it; it's old news; get over it. You want to argue about something, let's argue about something important, not some laughable comments made by people who don't know--or care--about the truth of what they're saying.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 22, 2013 9:18 AM

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
The story is about
Quote:
“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

There is nothing that NEEDS defending. They tried to make a point out of ignorance. It was ridiculous. It's over; I explained it; it's old news; get over it. You want to argue about something, let's argue about something important, not some laughable comments made by people who don't know--or care--about the truth of what they're saying.

Come on Niki. You 'edited' the quote to make it seem that way.

Quote:
That leaves hundreds of thousands of patients without the doctor that they’ve had for many many years,” Varney explained. “We don’t know how many thousands have been dropped, but thousands have been dropped. What about their patients? What about the people who used to have this doctor who now no longer have this doctor? Broken promise.”

“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

Varney was obviously speaking about the "...hundreds of thousands of patients (left) without the doctor that they’ve had for many many years", when their Medicare Advantage plans dropped their doctors, many of whom ARE elderly, but you left that part out, mentioning only the expectant mothers.

And your statements that Medicare was only for those over 65 have been proven false.

So rather than trying to defend the obviously spun article you posted, why don't you just let it go?

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 9:04 AM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Last time...this has long since become a silly argument, despite my trying very hard to clarify the facts.

"And your statements that Medicare was only for those over 65 have been proven false."

I never claimed only those over 65 get Medicare--I've been ON IT for years because I'm on Disability! The discussion was about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, not Medicare, and that's the last time I'll bother with that.

You will have to show facts and figures about women of child-bearing age who are on MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, because I doubt there are many, if any, who can afford MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.

But please don't bother, as this has long passed the point of absurdity.

Personally, I think Varney wasn't "adding" his comment about them being elderly, I think it was a subtle "pipe down, blondie, people are going to think you're stupid" because he DID understand that there are probably few, if any, women having babies who have Medicare Advantage. But that's just an opinion, because yes, what HE was talking about were the elderly.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 9:12 AM

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
I never claimed only those over 65 get Medicare--I've been ON IT for years because I'm on Disability! The discussion was about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, not Medicare, and that's the last time I'll bother with that.

"Medicare Advantage is a type of Medicare offered by private companies (NOT regular Medicare) to people over 65 years of age."

Quote:
Personally, I think Varney wasn't "adding" his comment about them being elderly, I think it was a subtle "pipe down, blondie, people are going to think you're stupid" because he DID understand that there are probably few, if any, women having babies who have Medicare Advantage. But that's just an opinion, because yes, what HE was talking about were the elderly.

And the fact that the elderly may lose their doctor of choice sort of got submerged in the Liberal snark about Hasselbeck's remark. All unintentional, I'm sure.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 10:23 AM

JONGSSTRAW

Quote:
Originally posted by M52NICKERSON:
Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
I'm sure there are some, but I doubt there are very many.

But you really don't know, and do understand that the issue isn't really 'elderly' pregnant women, but those on SSDI, yet you still try to defend your orignal, and still wrong, post.

"When your heart breaks, you choose what to fill the cracks with. Love or hate. But hate won't ever heal. Only love can do that."

The post was about what was said on FOX and friends, which was elderly pregnant women.

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

Your friend has a message :

Quote:
Originally posted by ElvisChrist:

Or could it be that you're just a racist cunt?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 10:24 AM

JONGSSTRAW

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Last time...this has long since become a silly argument, despite my trying very hard to clarify the facts.

"And your statements that Medicare was only for those over 65 have been proven false."

I never claimed only those over 65 get Medicare--I've been ON IT for years because I'm on Disability! The discussion was about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, not Medicare, and that's the last time I'll bother with that.

You will have to show facts and figures about women of child-bearing age who are on MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, because I doubt there are many, if any, who can afford MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.

But please don't bother, as this has long passed the point of absurdity.

Personally, I think Varney wasn't "adding" his comment about them being elderly, I think it was a subtle "pipe down, blondie, people are going to think you're stupid" because he DID understand that there are probably few, if any, women having babies who have Medicare Advantage. But that's just an opinion, because yes, what HE was talking about were the elderly.

Your friend has a message :

Quote:
Originally posted by ElvisChrist:

Or could it be that you're just a racist cunt?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 12:49 PM

Sneaky motherfrakkers!

Leave it to Faux News to sensationalize any health care story to make it seem it's Obama's fault. This, so-called story, has nothing to do with Obamacare, or Medicaid for that matter, but Hasselback, in her infinite wisdom, presents it like..................I'm not buying it, of course

Nothing Fox reports is fact. Even when the numbers were staring them in the face, during Obama's re-election, they tried to fudge the numbers. Rove was livid, but numbers don't lie. Unless, of course, you gerrymander the district.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Geezer is partly correct, tho' the original story is still funny.

First of all, the discussion was about Medicare Advantage plans, not Medicare. Geezer addressed Medicare, which is not the issue.

Medicare Advantage is a type of Medicare offered by private companies (NOT regular Medicare) to people over 65 years of age. Medicare Advantage covers traditional Medicare plus additional services, but customers must pay a premium. It’s not clear how many women over the age of 65 anticipate getting pregnant, but United Healthcare does offer maternity coverage to Medicare Advantage customers.

The only women under 65 who would be buying Medicare Advantage would be those on Disability, as far as I know. I'm not sure, but I rather doubt many women on Disability could afford Medicare Advantage insurance, given Disability doesn't pay for shit to begin with and people on Disability get Medicare partly because it's understood they can't afford health insurance in the private market.

But as it aired on FauxNews, it went like this:
Quote:
“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 12:56 PM

You tell 'em Niki.

This is a ridiculous thing to argue over, especially when those brainiacs at Fox couldn't care less, except, of course, when they think it makes people look bad, like the president. And or, democrats.

SGG

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
The story is about
Quote:
“And many of those people are women who are expecting babies and who may just have a real relationship with their physician and want to see the same doctor deliver possibly their second child,” Hasselbeck said. “And they are now left in the dark in a time that they feeling quite vulnerable.”

“Most of them are elderly,” Varney added.

There is nothing that NEEDS defending. They tried to make a point out of ignorance. It was ridiculous. It's over; I explained it; it's old news; get over it. You want to argue about something, let's argue about something important, not some laughable comments made by people who don't know--or care--about the truth of what they're saying.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 12:57 PM

ELVISCHRIST

Give 'em a break - it's not like anyone at Fox or any of their idiot audience has any idea how "woman stuff" works.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 1:00 PM

ELVISCHRIST

Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Last time...this has long since become a silly argument, despite my trying very hard to clarify the facts.

"And your statements that Medicare was only for those over 65 have been proven false."

I never claimed only those over 65 get Medicare--I've been ON IT for years because I'm on Disability! The discussion was about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, not Medicare, and that's the last time I'll bother with that.

You will have to show facts and figures about women of child-bearing age who are on MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, because I doubt there are many, if any, who can afford MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.

But please don't bother, as this has long passed the point of absurdity.

Personally, I think Varney wasn't "adding" his comment about them being elderly, I think it was a subtle "pipe down, blondie, people are going to think you're stupid" because he DID understand that there are probably few, if any, women having babies who have Medicare Advantage. But that's just an opinion, because yes, what HE was talking about were the elderly.

Your friend has a message :
Quote:
Originally posted by ElvisChrist:

Or could it be that you're just a racist cunt?

I have a message:

Niki isn't my friend.

Jongsstraw is a racist cunt.

Pass it on.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 23, 2013 1:05 PM