Gray Matters: An 'un-American' Medicare recipient

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.newsday.com/columnists/saul-friedman/gray-matters-an-un-american-medicare-recipient-1.1476416

September 25, 2009 By SAUL FRIEDMAN

I must be un-American, and I may have placed my country in great peril from socialists, communists, fascists and I don't know who else.

For health care, I participate in a dreaded "public option," Medicare, and have done so for 15 years. Along with most of 45 million people, we have been dependent on and spoiled by Medicare.

And most of us like it better than private insurance and, at the risk of undermining our youth, they may like Medicare, too. I go to and trust doctors who participate in Medicare, and none has threatened to pull my plug.

Also, I was a beneficiary of "socialist" medical care during my two years in the U.S. Army, where doctors who were paid by Uncle Sam treated me for various ailments. And since then, I've gotten some free care from Veterans Affairs, where the doctors, nurses and janitors also work for the government.

In addition, I have participated in a "death panel," but not one that Medicare paid for. I went to a lawyer, who charged my wife and me a bundle for drawing up a living will, an advance directive and a health care power of attorney giving a loved one permission to have doctors pull my plug, in case I couldn't.

[classof56]

1. Wow--great article! Thanks for posting.

I read the whole thing, and Saul really nailed it. Like him, my spouse and I have been on SS/Medicare for several years, and are grateful that we are. Two years ago, my spouse had an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), which would have killed him before long if not surgically removed. Thanks to Medicare, that was done and we kept our modest home, our ten-year-old car and did not have to file bankruptcy to pay the medical bills. I suppose we could have let him die, but somehow that just didn't seem like the right thing to do. (Tad bit of sarcasm there.) We had already done the "death panel thing", living will, etc., something I highly recommend for my fellow citizens of all ages. When I read one of our Congress Critters (can't recall which one, but he was an R Naturally) commented that Medicare never made anyone healthier, my thoughts immediately turned to my spouse, who's a heckuva lot healthier since that AAA got removed, not to mention still alive and a productive member of society in spite of his great age (74). Saul is absolutely right--our young people may like "socialist Medicare", too, if they stop and think about it. Speaking for myself, I say it's mighty fine!

Blessings.

[Old Codger]

2. amen

13 years here straight medicare. The not having to concern myself with how to pay for medical care makes my "end of life" choices much much easier...