Now that the elections are over and the Democrats have swept to power in the House and Senate, one area of focus will be the misnamed \u201cMedicare for All.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
If Americans understand just what that entails, they\u2019ll want no part of it.<\/p>\n
First of all, those not yet on Medicare believe that it doesn\u2019t cost the participants anything. That is so wrong. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders greets U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a rally at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Medicare program, which began in 1966 to cover people 65 and older, is paid for through lifelong payroll taxes, similar to Social Security taxes. But unlike with Social Security, the benefits are not related to how much you have paid in the program. \u00a0<\/p>\n
You might think that upon turning 65, you\u2019ll be covered because of the payments you\u2019ve made into the program for decades.<\/p>\n
Not exactly. I personally have paid $212,121 into Medicare over the past 50 years. (The government keeps track of your payment history through the Social Security website.) \u00a0<\/p>\n
Once Medicare coverage begins, you begin to realize how much it actually costs \u2014 even after paying Medicare taxes for years.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, the program\u2019s complicated, on top of being costly. You need a tour of the alphabet to understand it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A supporter of California Democratic Congressional candidate Randy Villegas holds a sign in Bakersfield, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Parts A, B and D each require patient cost-sharing: some mix of premiums, deductibles, co-pays and\/or co-insurance. Medigap Part F, supplemental insurance, can help cover the various out-of-pocket costs \u2014 but it comes with a monthly premium. For most people this is a mandatory addition to their health insurance planning.<\/p>\n
The point is: Medicare is far from free. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Here are the latest Opinion stories on the 2026 election:<\/p>\n
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks to the press on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Royal Oak, Mich. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at the Michigan Democratic Party Election Night Party in Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
In 2025 we paid $8,056 for insurance premiums and about $9,000 out-of-pocket. Add the amount deducted from our Social Security of $16,092 and the total outlay was $33,148. And we are still paying into Medicare because I am still working.<\/p>\n
The program\u2019s not always easy to use, either. Our first experience with using Medicare came with shoulder surgery needed by the Beautiful Wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both shoulders needed fixing but only one could be done prior to her 65th birthday, so the second was scheduled for afterward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The surgery was planned when we found out her friendly surgeon did not take Medicare. He would perform the surgery, but we would have to pay his fee out-of-pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turns out, California doctors have a somewhat lower acceptance rate for Medicare than doctors in other states.<\/p>\n
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, Abdul El-Sayed, and Bernie Sanders greet the crowd at a rally at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n
We called our doctor referral source, who is a non-practicing orthopedic surgeon. He knows almost every doctor in the area because he developed surgery centers and had a lot of docs as investors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He told me he stopped accepting Medicare years ago because the reimbursement rate did not warrant the financial and insurance risks of performing the surgery. He recommended two top-flight doctors, and we were able to proceed with one.<\/p>\n
If doctors do take Medicare, they might charge an annual concierge fee. So beware. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth is, the \u201cMedicare for All\u201d schemed \u2014 peddled by Bernie Sanders Democrats and soon-to-be legislators like Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed \u2014 is just a ploy to further move us to government-controlled and -administered health care. \u00a0<\/p>\n
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during an event on the \u201cFighting Oligarchy Tour\u201d at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wave to supporters during a rally at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz., March 20, 2025. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
I have been writing on this point for years, and wrote that Obamacare was just a step along the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The left continues to make private insurance more and more difficult to administer and then belittles the insurance companies for their operations. Sanders and crew would prefer to shove every American onto an expensive plan that they control.<\/p>\n
There is one goal here: to have complete control over the health care system. Then, we will all receive shoddy, costly, lowest-common-denominator health care \u201cfor all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bruce\u00a0Bialosky, a former presidential appointee, is a certified public accountant specializing in taxes. <\/p>\n
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