Question about health care in the US for American permanent residents

Hello,

Do American permanent residents ( green card holders ) receive free health care after the age of 65?
If you don't work anymore and therefore do not have any health plan provided by your company
but you retired from your job after paying taxes for 20 years what happens if you require medical
attention, medication or develop some condition that requires long term attention from a doctor?

I understand you are on your own for as far as dental coverage but what about normal coverage?

Legally, every US citizen 65 and older is entitled to receive health care provided by, for example, Medicare or Medicaid. The reality is that, even with background checks, ( as we've all seen!), all too many become citizens despite criminal records in their country. As with much in this country, restrictions have gotten almost criminally lax!

In theory, after retirement, an American senior is allowed to apply for Medicare. However, the word "free" is misleading since Medicare/Medicaid pays only about HALF of, for instance, a complete hospital stay...and NOT the entire bill which may well include doctor's visits, procedures, follow-up, therapy etc... For the latter, a senior has to still pay a considerable sum, the only difference being that they probably won't have to pay any more, so that those relying on Social Security technically won't go broke in the process. Oh, and the amount of the monthly Soc. Sec. ck. will depend on the recepient's income throughout their working life, including any military service above private. The greater the periods of unemployment or lost earning, naturally, the smaller the check:-)

Does this answer half of your question?

Is health care free in Poland? I ask because there's been the misconception floating around that European health care is universally free, something which is far from accurate. For a fact, Germany at least, charges those who need implant dentistry, although perhaps not as much as here in the States. A private clinic in Germany, for example, is definitely NOT free:-)

Poland has a two tier health care system. For those who want private care they can pay for it- it is directly to the company (medicover, luxmed)--there is no thieving insurance company that inflates the price. The monthly payments very from about 250 to 550 pln per month depending on what you need. (I could be wrong about those prices...it has been a while since I have checked)

There is also public health care, which is paid via taxes. Who ever in this world says any country has "free health care" they are grossly mistaken. The public care is hit or miss. In Warsaw we have used public care and have been absolutely fine with it. We have also used private and was angered and disappointed.

In our family we use a combo of public and private. If we need blood work or other tests we pay directly to the private clinic and have them done there, but I have had two minor surgeries at a public health care and was more than pleased.

Very interesting post, newpip!

From first-hand experience, it sounds a lot like Germany. And how different from the States:-))) Even in Germany, state-sponsored care seems superior to anything government-subsidized here in the US. Sometimes even private isn't so good. Physicians in most of Europe appear more dedicated to the Hypocratic Oath rather than lining their own pockets, i.e. "What's in it for me?"

Thank you.

Have you anything in Poland roughly equivalent to the "Kassenarzt" in Germany? The latter institution is a sort of local doctor/physician who charges patients based upon their respective income level, "on account", so to speak^---^ This prevents German doctors from overcharging typically for housecalls, as they often do in the States!

Likewise.

I've found that private clinics are astonishingly bad at timekeeping and being disorganised - far worse than public ones.

Hi! I do everything private, even when not included in my insurance coverage in which case I pay and I do not regret it. Re my personal experience of that of people around me, the public system may be fine when in good health. I made the mistakes to have 2 tests (gynecology and mammograph) 2 years in a row under the public system in order not to pay and I had to wait for over 2 months to have results whereas results are available within a few days in private sector. As a result, I had to worry sick for some 2 months and never again I'll use NFZ. In conclusion, in case of severe diseases (for ex cancer) best to avoid NFZ (I had cancer 4 years ago and great that I was treated in private when I know that some cancer patients have to wait for months in order to get an appointment under NFZ).

moved from

My health insurance is 1900$ a month with co pay and deductable per person and for 2 of us is 3800$ PER MONTH and these fu*cking immigrants get it FREE now GO FIGURE

Wow, Yankee land is really ****** up. I pay 100 a month for top private health + extras. Plus we have a top notch public system in tandem. (Australia)

YUP it is fu*cked up,the benefits of being self employed and working hard,and these freaking immigrants have it all for free welcome to the Dem land reality.Did you know there kids cost us 35k a year in schools from our property taxes alone.IMMIGRANTS should be shot point blank at the border.

Damn why is it so high? I know my parents was up there too something like $2k a month for 2 people and that was even with some government subsidy that they just barely made the threshold for. We tried every way to get it lowered - get insurance through the business, the marketplace, etc. etc. There was no getting around it - if you're self employed you're going to pay out the ass for it. Meanwhile, I have a plan that's far better than theirs through my employer and I don't think I pay a full $100, $150 a month. Pretty ridiculous...

You're almost better off just not having health insurance especially if you're fairly healthy. In an emergency they have to treat you anyway. Or you could always just not report any income and go on medicaid.

Or have an NHS...

Not in our case when some anchor tenants issue you 1099,that is why I have a "C" corp and I dont pay any social security,unemployment etc just flat State and fed tax,would be different if you are in a cash business.


How many years back?Those rates were before Obama care crap started.

The American medical system is an organized criminal racket (I mean that literally).

How is it legally possible for simple blood tests to cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars?

How is it legally possible to raise the price of insulin so that many who need it to survive cannot afford it?

It's a mafia racket - it needs to be broken up.

Is it even one system? It seems that individual states have their own laws about health 'insurance', some people get it from work and some don't (and some work schemes are somehow better than others!). Other people, for reasons I don't understand feel the need to get more than one insurance policy, some get Medicare, some Medicaid, some people's healthcare differs if they're veterans.

And what the hell are 'copays' and 'deductibles' and what happens to people when 'insurance' companies either withdraw coverage or refuse to pay?


Evidently the financial motivation there is about making money by curing illnesses rather than the European model of reducing costs by preventing them.

Are the Camorra, Mafia, Ndragheta one system?

Exactly. It's not even a system, just an inherently inefficient and frankly murderous free-for-all.

Copay= you pay 20/30 $ when you visit a doctor whose fee might be 100 $ or more rest will be covered by the insurance(I think its to discourage you from going to a doctor) same for prescription drugs,you pay 20/30$ depending on your plan you pay.

Deductable= Insurance companies usually set a 1000 or 2000$ a year depending on the plan maybe even 5000 $ or more for a cheaper plan and the insurance company will pay any expense over that.

I'm glad we don't have any of that at the doctor's.

If a GP practice here takes money at all, it's just a few quid for travel jabs and cremation certificates (doctors call it 'ash cash') etc.