AP Elderly face higher Medicare (monthly) premiums (11.2 % increase!)

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060711/ap_on_he_me/medicare_premiums;_ylt=Asj3Y5igCv.cng6evpSaWras0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Elderly face higher Medicare premiums

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 11 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The elderly will face another double-digit rise in their Medicare premiums next year, resulting in monthly payments of nearly $100.


The monthly premiums for supplementary medical insurance will rise from $88.50 to at least $98.40, the Bush administration projected Tuesday. That's an 11.2 percent increase, and it's possible the amount will be slightly higher.

The projections assume that Congress will reduce Medicare payment rates for physicians by about 4.7 percent next year. Many analysts don't believe such a cut will occur, and that means the cost of the insurance would go higher than current projections.

Mark McClellan, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the higher premiums are being generated through an increase in the volume of care provided Medicare patients. Doctors make greater use of imaging, physical therapy, lab tests and physician-administered drugs.

Physicians say that the increased volume usually equates to better care and healthier patients, but a fact sheet released by CMS on Tuesday said "use of these services varies substantially across practices and geographic areas, with no clear impacts on health."

[SpiralHawk]

1. Nice work, rich boy Georgie AWOL Bush

Screw the elderly, help your "elite" CRONIES


Toss all the Republicon cronies out on their corrupt asses

[Rex]

2. Another way to screw the vulnerable over, I hate Repukes.

nt

[rodeodance]

3. this is just too much for many on fixed incomes!

[ismnotwasm]

4. Completely disgusting

The cut backs are already so bad, many MD's won't follow patients into nursing homes. Some won't take Medicare because it takes forever to get paid.
"Mark McClellan, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the higher premiums are being generated through an increase in the volume of care provided Medicare patients. Doctors make greater use of imaging, physical therapy, lab tests and physician-administered drugs.

Physicians say that the increased volume usually equates to better care and healthier patients, but a fact sheet released by CMS on Tuesday said "use of these services varies substantially across practices and geographic areas, with no clear impacts on health."

Bullshit. So what are they saying? We won't do that angio on a 78 year old, because we can magically see that clot in his heart's vascular system?

Or that CT scan after a fall isn't necessary, because we know the symptoms of a subdural hematoma? We'll get it in time?

So am I supposed to be able to LOOK at a patient and know their potassium is 6.7?

Or, after a CVA PT therapy isn't necessary because it doesn't improve function, tone, mobility to the point where a quality of life is recaptured?

Fucking Bastards.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. Don't they know the elderly don't have boot straps on their slippers?

Selfish and heartless. Republican administration building a bridge to the 14th century. What an awful bunch of ego driven fools!

[partylessinOhio]

6. Medicare is the worst scam I have ever seen. They won't pay much if

anything on medical bills. The first thing they do is cut down the charge to almost nothing, then they say it is the patient's deductible or co-pay.

I haven't found there is any way to get $88.50 a month worth of benefits. It seems this is clear profit and a tremendous amount of money the government collects from every person in the country over 65.

We would all be better off if we had the choice to stay on our private insurance coverage but employers or retirement programs are just too anxious to dump us into the Medicare mess.

The processing time is horrid, I am still trying to resolve (which means I pay) bills from 2005.

[Doremus]

9. Medicare is a scam? Try paying for private insurance.

Have you priced them lately? Our monthly premium is over $1100/mo. for the 3 of us and the coverage isn't much better than Medicare.

I'd love to pay even half that, let alone $90 bucks a month, but somebody has to pay for Bill McGuire's $1.6 BILLION of stock options. :mad: :mad:

[CountAllVotes]

20. I have Medicare and a supplement to Medicare policy

I was just advised that the cost of this supplemental policy is going up to $750 a month for two persons. Add an extra $200 a month to this - $950.00 a month.

And this is a great deal?

I don't think so.

We are still under the jurisdiction of Medicare guidelines and policies for the most part. There are a few "perks" but not many with the costly supplemental policy (Blue Cross/Blue Shield). For the most part, this supplemental policy that costs $750 a month pays for part of the cost of medications and also pays the portion of the doctor's bill that Medicare doesn't pay (maybe $15 or $20).

Between deductibles and co-payments and we are looking at over $12,000 a year for insurance for two persons and it is not that great. :mad:

[Doremus]

28. Then why have it? If your doctors all accept Medicare assignment

there would be no extra for you to cover that Medicare doesn't pay.

Hospitalization is probably another story, but perhaps there's a catastrophic supplement that would be suitable for you that wouldn't be so pricey.

As far as prescriptions, I thought Medicare D solved that one for seniors. :sarcasm:

I agree, $14K/yr for 80% coverage (what I pay out in private insurance premiums for a family of 3) and $12K for your supplement/Medicare is exorbitantly high.

We need a single-payer national health plan NOW.

[CountAllVotes]

7. I got word of this yesterday

This is a huge bite out of most people's monthly social security checks (the average being approx. $875.00 a month I believe). Add in Part D costs and they are probably looking at close to ~$150+ a month for premiums and that is before any of the deductibles are met.

The benefits under Medicare have also been reduced once again.

Not good!! I hope the hell people on Medicare realize this BEFORE the election and they vote!

:kick:

[Sgent]

14. Social security checks

aren't usually effected.

Although this will affect those currently not drawing SS, who will have to pay the full increase, current recipients are treated differently.

Current recipients increase is limited to the amount of their COLA adjustment. So the most they are subject to is the amoun thier COLA increases. At worst, the actual amount of the check will stay the same. However, their income will decline as thier will be no increase for inflation.

[CountAllVotes]

26. that is not true

Some people on Social Security don't want to mess with trying to get SSI to supplement them. They don't want to sell everything they have and give up what little they might have.

Thus, they may be getting a very small check from Social Security (SSA or SSDI) even though they qualify for Medicare.

If you are only getting $300.00 a month from SSA and they deduct the $98.00+ from it, you lose again. If the COLA is 3% that would mean that the person getting $300.00 a month would see and increase of about $9.00 a month, all of which would go to paying the additional Medicare premium.

Hence, these are the ones that lose again. Some people do have something called "pride" and they don't want anything to do with SSI given the stigma attached to it.

In the end, it is the very poor that lose again as usual. And yes, there are plenty of people out there like this! I know of more than one person in this crap boat with no paddle attached! :(

:kick:

[Sgent]

30. Huh?

I didn't say anything about SSI.

From http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=html_table">The Soical Security Administration Website

It is important to note that no one's Social Security benefit will decrease as a result of the 2006 Medicare Part B premium increase. By law, the Part B premium increase cannot be larger than a beneficiary’s COLA increase. More information about Medicare can be found at the Website for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

[Massacure]

8. it looks like a REPUBLICAN is RAISING TAXES.

Spread the word far and wide.

[JanusAscending]

10. This HAS to make the Greatest Page!!

We gotta get the word out NOW!! Sr. Citizens are the most reliable voters in the country. I didn't know about this until I read your post. I am one of those who will be affected very deeply. I make so little money on S.S. that the State of Ct. pays my Medicare Premiums now, and I don't have to pay a premium for my Med. part D, but.........how long can I count on them to continue if the price is going to go up again.??? There are those worse off than me, who have to pay the premiums, which of course uses up all of the yearly cost of living "increases" (big joke) People, we HAVE to win in 2006, or we're all done for!! Kicked and rec., and thank you for the heads up!! DC:scared:

[badgervan]

11. Bastardos

No surprise at all. Just more of that Compassionate Christian Conservatism that our New Rulers seem to love so much.

[OneBlueSky]

12. all while giving large raises to White House staff . . .

these people have no conscience . . . none at all . . .

[area51]

13. k&r (n/t)

[Vinca]

15. How many times have I uttered the word "shameful" when talking

about this administration? I wish they'd tell us again what "compassionate conservatism" is. Is it leaving Grandma on the ice floe? Apparently. I'm betting we're also on the precipice of seniors reaching the "donut hole" on the muddled prescription drug program. If it coincides with the election, Republicans are going to be in worse trouble than they already are.

[harpboy_ak]

16. Good luck finding a doctor when you go on Medicare!

The projections assume that Congress will reduce Medicare payment rates for physicians by about 4.7 percent next year.

If they do this, it will be even harder for those on Medicare to find a doctor. In Alaska, the amounts Medicare pays are so low that doctors are not taking new Medicare patients. They pay less than it costs doctors to deliver the service, so docs are telling patients that they need to find a new doctor when they turn 65. The problem is that when you are on Medicare, they cannot charge you (and you cannot voluntarily pay) more than the Medicare approved amount.

They also decrease the service (less time with patients) by "increasing volume". Typical repuke thinking, making up what you lose by increasing the number of money-losing patients you have to see.

TIME FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. IT'S A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.

[0007]

17. Argh!

We're so screwed!

[SpiralHawk]

18. Why do republicons hate America's elders?

Bush and the cons -- fat cats all -- hate the poor and old

Despite the propaganda they spew (using our tax dollars and their massive oil profits) the evidence is plain

[CountAllVotes]

23. they obviously hate the disabled too

I don't know if you are aware of this or not but some disabled people out there are on Medicare if they worked and paid into Social Security long enough to qualify for it (10 years).

People trying to make it on disability are really screwed because they cannot get a job and work to try and supplement their income being they are disabled!

:grr:

[watercolors]

19. How much more can we take

House taxes went up 20%, because of inflated prices on real estate, Insurance up 100%, just got our bill, all utilities are up,gas and food! We seriously will have to make some drastic changes here soon! We thought we planned well for our retirement, guess you really can't!

[AzDar]

21. I am so SICK of this monkey and his administration's BULLSHIT!!

Death by a thousand cuts for the poor and working class; tax breaks for the wealthy.
How much will people TAKE before they storm the effin' Bastille??

[newspeak]

22. it's amazing that these neo-con mepublicans

only think about themselves----Two christmases ago, our credit union had a wish tree for senior citizens and it was amazing that most on the tree just wanted a gift card from the local grocery stores so that they could get food and medicine!!!!! :mad: You got rich farts in Congress who couldn't give a damn about other seniors who are barely making it--reminds me of Scrooge "well let them die and decrease the surplus population"-- as long as it's not their sorry asses dying!!!! My mom and my father-in-law both have retirement, but it doesn't cover the costs of living--as a matter of fact, my father-in-law's pension states if your medical premium is more than your pension funds, please submit payment. It's absolutely disgraceful--many cultures honor their elderly, not throw them to the wolves!!!!!

[dysfunctional press]

24. so much for the cost-of-living increase in the benefit amount...

:shrug:

[Sapere aude]

25. I'm a controller at a medical clinic. As Medicare payments to doctors go

down, more doctors are deciding not to see Medicare patients. These doctors are paid on a percentage of cash received for services they provide. Regular insurance companies pay more per patient so the doctors want to treat more of them. Not all doctors here are like that, only a few. We are in a rural area so most of our patients are Medicare or Medical. It gets harder and harder to pay our expenses as payments for services decrease. We need to generate more revenue so lab tests can be a way to increase the cash we receive since we have our own lab.

Doctors are always leaving us and going to more lucrative practices. We have an urgent care facility staffed by PA's were many uninsured patients come for treatment. We have to bill them but take for ever trying to collect from them. Sometimes never. The owners want to stay open because there is a need for us here but it gets harder and harder to pay our bills.

I am always looking for a new job in a different industry because it is very tiring dealing with vendors who are always putting us on hold and coming up with the payroll every other week.

This country has to come up with a single payer system or else there will be no medical care for those who can't afford the best insurance. This is just going from bad to worse.

[amandabeech]

27. Up with Medicare premiums and down with the Estate Tax!

That's the ticket!

[JCMach1]

29. Healthcare is a ripoff in the States... for a few hundred dollars a year

You can get private insurance here... Paying out of pocket would not be a fraction of what the costs are in the U.S.

and thats WITH NO government subsidy, or single-payer...

Healthcare in the US is a SCAM at all levels... Doctors, Hospitals, the Gov., Insurance, Lawyers... EVERYONE!

I always realized the system was bad in the US, but I didn't realize how bad until I got the heck out of dodge...