本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛来源: 不知道怎么办的问题 于 03-11-13也是有关父母医疗保险,实不光是父母的问题,自己的问题都不小.
很多医疗保险实际上是有上限的,或者多少钱以后是自己cover多少百分比的.再有就是美国这里虽然没有明显的年龄歧视,但实际上到了50岁以后,如果失业,想再找decent的工作,就非常难了.如果你不相信就算.
所以即使是有合法身份的我们,万一遇到大病,在不合适的时候,都是自身难保的.国家和州的医疗福利,我们确实可以享受一些.但是那些福利,基本上是把你在急诊室的病情稳定下来,然后的医疗方案如何,还是跟你的支付能力有关.
大家估计都看过John Q,如果医疗保险和国家福利能够cover一切,也不会有那么多事情了.
基本上来讲,在美国生了大病,可能系统比国内好不少,但是还是可能造成很严重的后果.
父母的问题,因为年纪大了,我们再小心,再频繁督促他们检查身体,也是免不了要出毛病的.如果不得已靠医疗福利,我不guarantee,但是可以相对确定的说,他们受到的待遇不会是最好的.本来可能有的机会也是有可能因为各方面条件错过的.
我亲戚在美国出了车祸
一晚上检查费用就两万多，再加上直升飞机8000多，医院律师第二天一早就把他房子加上医院名，不许卖房，这是有工作有保险，没工作住几天房子就换主了。风凰城 押房方是当地最大医院 真升飞机能起落 来源: hhhh 于 06-08-08
我不觉的poorkid危言耸听, 美国读者文摘上专门讲了这个社会问题
Local Access打往中国电话卡1.3￠/分种
来源: 找上门来 于 06-12-01的确美国中产阶级在得大病时候很多时候没有什么选择. 我也咨询过我们公司HR, 基本上, 如果你得了大病不能工作, 原来的保险只能用很短一段时间, 之后自己付的保险费要高的离铺, 破产是很容易的. 我公司可是全美福利骄娇者之一.
我知道的一朋友得癌症之后一年多时间, 由于家里收入降低不少不得不考虑卖房子.
相比西欧的制度, 美国的保健系统太落后啦, 在西欧国家, 没有因为得大病而不的不卖房子的. 美国在这点上来说残酷一点. 不过要改变, 就要有全民保险之类的计划,社会和政府设置security net, 不让任何人走投无路, 也就是说, 不以工作单位为投保方, 个人应该可以根据自己收入选择投保标准.
还有一个发现, 美国这里的医生之类都是以赢利为目的的好象, 这多少和医生的本质概念有点相左. 医生应该是受尊重的行业, 不应该是暴富的行业. 当医生的可能要骂了, 闪了. :)
.
回答: 到了不能来上班的，还没谁熬过一年的 由 katies 于 2006-12-01 08:40:07 我得了癌症,一上班就被裁了有一个律师向我解释说等你上班再裁是为了避免麻烦.我在那里已经做了8年了. 在我之前也有一例,是个白人老太太. 我当时还以为是因为她不干什么活. 后来才知道这样做是PERFECTLY LEGAL.我至今还没从政府得到任何帮助. 千万别存幻想幸亏我的CASE是很轻的. 所以还好.我还没破产.
据说有在美国的ＤＸ把父母接过来，有病不敢看，一直拖到回国才看已经晚了的事。
所以加拿大也不是一无是处，至少全民保健就是一件很积德的事。
养老院本是老人颐养天年之地，但美国国会直属的调查机构———总审计署一份最新调查报告却显示，该国养老院系统存在普遍的虐待行为
by newhonda () at 2002.3.8 20:50
老了后,没有医疗保险你敢退休吗?
来源: 挣钱再多也不够看病花 于 05-05-09
No healthcare for you!
Companies are slashing retiree medical benefits. Here's what you can do about it.
May 9, 2005: 1:09 PM EDT
By Michelle Andrews, MONEY Magazine
NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - When Al Rodgers retired in 2001 after 32 years with Lucent Technologies, he didn't worry about how he would pay for medical care. Under the company's retiree-benefits plan, Rodgers thought he could count on subsidized health insurance for himself and his wife, plus dental and drug coverage.
But that was then, this is now. Last year, Lucent eliminated his subsidized dental benefits; this year the company dropped subsidized health insurance for dependents for a portion of its former management that included Rodgers. His drug co-payments have also risen sharply. As a result, he is now shelling out almost $350 a month more for less coverage.
To help pay their health-care bills, the couple has cut back on entertainment such as movie nights and restaurant meals. The resulting drop in their expenses, combined with their earnings from part-time jobs at a local weekly newspaper, enables them to just about cover the additional costs.
But Rodgers, 61, a former public relations specialist at Lucent's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility, says he feels shortchanged. He notes bitterly, "This is a real financial hardship."
Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions for retirees like Rodgers. But there are strategies you can use to better plan for the medical expenses you'll face when you leave the work force, and to find the coverage you need if you're already retired.
Planning ahead is critical. Just over a third of companies with 200 or more workers now offer retirees some form of health benefits, down from 66 percent in 1988, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Meanwhile, employers that still offer retiree health benefits are scaling back across the board and sharply raising premiums and co-payments on the remaining coverage.
As a result, retirees, already adjusting to life on a lower income, are faced with an increasingly heavy financial burden, especially in the years before they become eligible for Medicare.
The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) projects that, if recent trends continue, a typical retiree who is 65 now and lives to be 90 will need to save nearly $300,000 to pay his premiums (including Medicare) as well as his out-of-pocket medical bills, if he has coverage from a former employer. That same retiree will need to save around $180,000 if he instead relies on Medigap insurance to supplement Medicare.
Eric Tashlein, a financial planner in Milford, Conn., says, "Health-care expenses are easily the largest underestimated cost in retirement."
To make sure you don't get caught short, take the following steps now.
Set up a medical fund
If you are still several years away from retirement, you can create your own medical reserve fund by opening a separate savings account that you mentally designate for health-care costs.
"If you create an isolated investment fund, similar to a college fund, you're less likely to touch it for other, nonmedical purposes," says Stephen Lovell, a certified financial planner in Walnut Creek, Calif.
A health savings account (HSA) can also be a good way to build a reserve fund for medical expenses, especially if you're in good health. Offered now by a small but growing number of employers, insurers and financial institutions, these accounts, which must be used in conjunction with a high-deductible health insurance plan, are like an IRA for health care, only better.
Like an IRA, an HSA allows for tax-free contributions and investment earnings. But unlike with a regular IRA, your withdrawals are tax-free as well, as long as you spend the money on medical care. Depending on your insurance deductible, you can set aside as much as $2,650 in an HSA in 2005, plus an additional $600 if you're 55 or over. You can tap your account at any time, without penalty, to pay most medical bills.
But HSAs are not a silver bullet, especially if you are close to retirement. According to estimates by EBRI, someone who makes the maximum annual contribution starting at age 55 will be able to save only about $44,000 by the time he reaches 65 -- substantially less than the health-care expenses he'll likely face.
Stay on the payroll
Your employer's health coverage is probably more comprehensive and less expensive than any plan you're likely to find in the individual insurance market, says Bonnie Burns, a policy specialist with California Health Advocates, a consumer group.
So if the decision about when to retire is in your control, consider scaling back your hours and responsibilities to keep your coverage, rather than quitting altogether. (Typically, you have to work at least 20 hours a week to qualify for benefits.)
Line up alternative coverage
If you're thinking of retiring before you're eligible for Medicare, try to get health insurance before you leave.
It may not be easy: As an individual, you'll have to go through medical underwriting, and plans can and do reject applicants for health conditions ranging from acne to cancer, says Karen Pollitz, project director for Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute. Premiums vary widely, depending on your health, the deductible you choose and where you live.
If you're searching for a suitable policy, you can go to the Web site of the National Association of Health Underwriters to find an insurance broker in your area.
If individual insurance isn't an option, you may be able to continue coverage through your employer's health plan (for up to 18 months after you retire) under the federal law known as COBRA.
The coverage isn't cheap. Under COBRA, you must pay the entire premium, plus a small administrative fee. Once COBRA coverage ends, though, you'll be automatically eligible for an individual policy under another federal law known as HIPAA, which guarantees access to health insurance for individuals who leave job-based coverage. But you must exhaust your COBRA benefits in order to qualify.
Unfortunately, a HIPAA policy, while guaranteed, is not necessarily comprehensive or affordable, says Pollitz.
Go back to work
If you're already retired and you don't have health benefits from your former employer, your best bet may be to seek a part-time job that offers coverage.
If your retirement was voluntary, your former employer may be willing to put you back on the payroll in a less demanding position. Or you might seek a job that's related to your old one but is less taxing. Or consider a service industry job.
IBM retiree Chet Balon, 59, took a four-day-a-week sales job at Barnes & Noble, which qualifies him for the company's health plan at $12 a week. Sure, these jobs may not pay very well, but that's not the point.
Says Clark Randall, a certified financial planner in Dallas, "Forget about how much you earn; if you can just get benefits it's worth it."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
很多医疗保险实际上是有上限的,或者多少钱以后是自己cover多少百分比的.再有就是美国这里虽然没有明显的年龄歧视,但实际上到了50岁以后,如果失业,想再找decent的工作,就非常难了.如果你不相信就算.
所以即使是有合法身份的我们,万一遇到大病,在不合适的时候,都是自身难保的.国家和州的医疗福利,我们确实可以享受一些.但是那些福利,基本上是把你在急诊室的病情稳定下来,然后的医疗方案如何,还是跟你的支付能力有关.
大家估计都看过John Q,如果医疗保险和国家福利能够cover一切,也不会有那么多事情了.
基本上来讲,在美国生了大病,可能系统比国内好不少,但是还是可能造成很严重的后果.
父母的问题,因为年纪大了,我们再小心,再频繁督促他们检查身体,也是免不了要出毛病的.如果不得已靠医疗福利,我不guarantee,但是可以相对确定的说,他们受到的待遇不会是最好的.本来可能有的机会也是有可能因为各方面条件错过的.
我亲戚在美国出了车祸
一晚上检查费用就两万多，再加上直升飞机8000多，医院律师第二天一早就把他房子加上医院名，不许卖房，这是有工作有保险，没工作住几天房子就换主了。风凰城 押房方是当地最大医院 真升飞机能起落 来源: hhhh 于 06-08-08
我不觉的poorkid危言耸听, 美国读者文摘上专门讲了这个社会问题
Local Access打往中国电话卡1.3￠/分种
来源: 找上门来 于 06-12-01的确美国中产阶级在得大病时候很多时候没有什么选择. 我也咨询过我们公司HR, 基本上, 如果你得了大病不能工作, 原来的保险只能用很短一段时间, 之后自己付的保险费要高的离铺, 破产是很容易的. 我公司可是全美福利骄娇者之一.
我知道的一朋友得癌症之后一年多时间, 由于家里收入降低不少不得不考虑卖房子.
相比西欧的制度, 美国的保健系统太落后啦, 在西欧国家, 没有因为得大病而不的不卖房子的. 美国在这点上来说残酷一点. 不过要改变, 就要有全民保险之类的计划,社会和政府设置security net, 不让任何人走投无路, 也就是说, 不以工作单位为投保方, 个人应该可以根据自己收入选择投保标准.
还有一个发现, 美国这里的医生之类都是以赢利为目的的好象, 这多少和医生的本质概念有点相左. 医生应该是受尊重的行业, 不应该是暴富的行业. 当医生的可能要骂了, 闪了. :)
.
回答: 到了不能来上班的，还没谁熬过一年的 由 katies 于 2006-12-01 08:40:07 我得了癌症,一上班就被裁了有一个律师向我解释说等你上班再裁是为了避免麻烦.我在那里已经做了8年了. 在我之前也有一例,是个白人老太太. 我当时还以为是因为她不干什么活. 后来才知道这样做是PERFECTLY LEGAL.我至今还没从政府得到任何帮助. 千万别存幻想幸亏我的CASE是很轻的. 所以还好.我还没破产.
据说有在美国的ＤＸ把父母接过来，有病不敢看，一直拖到回国才看已经晚了的事。
所以加拿大也不是一无是处，至少全民保健就是一件很积德的事。
养老院本是老人颐养天年之地，但美国国会直属的调查机构———总审计署一份最新调查报告却显示，该国养老院系统存在普遍的虐待行为
by newhonda () at 2002.3.8 20:50
老了后,没有医疗保险你敢退休吗?
来源: 挣钱再多也不够看病花 于 05-05-09
No healthcare for you!
Companies are slashing retiree medical benefits. Here's what you can do about it.
May 9, 2005: 1:09 PM EDT
By Michelle Andrews, MONEY Magazine
NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - When Al Rodgers retired in 2001 after 32 years with Lucent Technologies, he didn't worry about how he would pay for medical care. Under the company's retiree-benefits plan, Rodgers thought he could count on subsidized health insurance for himself and his wife, plus dental and drug coverage.
But that was then, this is now. Last year, Lucent eliminated his subsidized dental benefits; this year the company dropped subsidized health insurance for dependents for a portion of its former management that included Rodgers. His drug co-payments have also risen sharply. As a result, he is now shelling out almost $350 a month more for less coverage.
To help pay their health-care bills, the couple has cut back on entertainment such as movie nights and restaurant meals. The resulting drop in their expenses, combined with their earnings from part-time jobs at a local weekly newspaper, enables them to just about cover the additional costs.
But Rodgers, 61, a former public relations specialist at Lucent's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility, says he feels shortchanged. He notes bitterly, "This is a real financial hardship."
Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions for retirees like Rodgers. But there are strategies you can use to better plan for the medical expenses you'll face when you leave the work force, and to find the coverage you need if you're already retired.
Planning ahead is critical. Just over a third of companies with 200 or more workers now offer retirees some form of health benefits, down from 66 percent in 1988, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Meanwhile, employers that still offer retiree health benefits are scaling back across the board and sharply raising premiums and co-payments on the remaining coverage.
As a result, retirees, already adjusting to life on a lower income, are faced with an increasingly heavy financial burden, especially in the years before they become eligible for Medicare.
The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) projects that, if recent trends continue, a typical retiree who is 65 now and lives to be 90 will need to save nearly $300,000 to pay his premiums (including Medicare) as well as his out-of-pocket medical bills, if he has coverage from a former employer. That same retiree will need to save around $180,000 if he instead relies on Medigap insurance to supplement Medicare.
Eric Tashlein, a financial planner in Milford, Conn., says, "Health-care expenses are easily the largest underestimated cost in retirement."
To make sure you don't get caught short, take the following steps now.
Set up a medical fund
If you are still several years away from retirement, you can create your own medical reserve fund by opening a separate savings account that you mentally designate for health-care costs.
"If you create an isolated investment fund, similar to a college fund, you're less likely to touch it for other, nonmedical purposes," says Stephen Lovell, a certified financial planner in Walnut Creek, Calif.
A health savings account (HSA) can also be a good way to build a reserve fund for medical expenses, especially if you're in good health. Offered now by a small but growing number of employers, insurers and financial institutions, these accounts, which must be used in conjunction with a high-deductible health insurance plan, are like an IRA for health care, only better.
Like an IRA, an HSA allows for tax-free contributions and investment earnings. But unlike with a regular IRA, your withdrawals are tax-free as well, as long as you spend the money on medical care. Depending on your insurance deductible, you can set aside as much as $2,650 in an HSA in 2005, plus an additional $600 if you're 55 or over. You can tap your account at any time, without penalty, to pay most medical bills.
But HSAs are not a silver bullet, especially if you are close to retirement. According to estimates by EBRI, someone who makes the maximum annual contribution starting at age 55 will be able to save only about $44,000 by the time he reaches 65 -- substantially less than the health-care expenses he'll likely face.
Stay on the payroll
Your employer's health coverage is probably more comprehensive and less expensive than any plan you're likely to find in the individual insurance market, says Bonnie Burns, a policy specialist with California Health Advocates, a consumer group.
So if the decision about when to retire is in your control, consider scaling back your hours and responsibilities to keep your coverage, rather than quitting altogether. (Typically, you have to work at least 20 hours a week to qualify for benefits.)
Line up alternative coverage
If you're thinking of retiring before you're eligible for Medicare, try to get health insurance before you leave.
It may not be easy: As an individual, you'll have to go through medical underwriting, and plans can and do reject applicants for health conditions ranging from acne to cancer, says Karen Pollitz, project director for Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute. Premiums vary widely, depending on your health, the deductible you choose and where you live.
If you're searching for a suitable policy, you can go to the Web site of the National Association of Health Underwriters to find an insurance broker in your area.
If individual insurance isn't an option, you may be able to continue coverage through your employer's health plan (for up to 18 months after you retire) under the federal law known as COBRA.
The coverage isn't cheap. Under COBRA, you must pay the entire premium, plus a small administrative fee. Once COBRA coverage ends, though, you'll be automatically eligible for an individual policy under another federal law known as HIPAA, which guarantees access to health insurance for individuals who leave job-based coverage. But you must exhaust your COBRA benefits in order to qualify.
Unfortunately, a HIPAA policy, while guaranteed, is not necessarily comprehensive or affordable, says Pollitz.
Go back to work
If you're already retired and you don't have health benefits from your former employer, your best bet may be to seek a part-time job that offers coverage.
If your retirement was voluntary, your former employer may be willing to put you back on the payroll in a less demanding position. Or you might seek a job that's related to your old one but is less taxing. Or consider a service industry job.
IBM retiree Chet Balon, 59, took a four-day-a-week sales job at Barnes & Noble, which qualifies him for the company's health plan at $12 a week. Sure, these jobs may not pay very well, but that's not the point.
Says Clark Randall, a certified financial planner in Dallas, "Forget about how much you earn; if you can just get benefits it's worth it."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net