Medicare provides health insurance for the elderly and disabled.
Medicare provides health insurance for elderly and disabled people. Since these people cannot always get insurance through an employer, Medicare provides valuable benefits. It is not without problems, though.
Fraud
Medicare fraud includes bills sent to Medicare for services and medical supplies that patients never receive. According to an article on MSNBC in January 2010, Medicare loses more than $60 million every year due to fraud.
Acceptance
Not all doctors accept Medicare. Patients in some areas may have trouble finding a doctor that accepts it, especially if they need to see a specialist.
High Co-Pays
Medicare Part A covers inpatient care. However, patients that require a great deal of inpatient care must pay fairly significant co-pays. As of 2010, patients pay $1,100 for days one to 60 in each benefit period. Patients then pay $275 per day for days 61 to 90 and $550 per day after that. This amount usually increases every year.
Cost of Mental Health Care
Medicare covers mental health care but at lower rates than other outpatient medical care. In 2010, Medicare pays 80 percent of most outpatient services, such as visits to a doctor's office, but only 55 percent of outpatient mental health care like counseling.
Services Not Covered
Medicare does not cover some services, including most dental care, dentures and hearing aids. Medicare recipients may have difficulty paying for these things.
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