How popular were the Medicare buy-in and drug importation?

[mcablue]

A new poll finds that 63% support expanding medicare to 55-64 year old people 33% opposed. New ABC/Washington Post poll.

Do you think the government should or should not expand Medicare to cover people between the ages of 55 and 64 who do not have health insurance?

63% Should, 33% Should not

http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1098a2PoliticsatYearsEnd.pdf

a poll in 2004 (I see no reason to think support has changed since, but if you find a more recent poll please post it) found that " Nearly seven in 10 say it should be legal to buy prescription drugs from foreign countries, despite the FDA's safety qualms." http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/US/healthcare031020_poll.html

[Imagevision]

1. Well, Medicare isn't free, it'll still cost them over $1300.00 per year...

[Undercurrent]

5. This is true if

SS or SSDI is your only income, or you are below the income minimum. Otherwise you can pay quite a bit.

Medicare Premiums for 2010:


Part A: (Hospital Insurance) Premium

Most people do not pay a monthly Part A premium because they or a spouse has 40 or more quarters of Medicare-covered employment.

The Part A premium is $254.00 per month for people having 30-39 quarters of Medicare-covered employment.

The Part A premium is $461.00 per month for people who are not otherwise eligible for premium-free hospital insurance and have less than 30 quarters of Medicare-covered employment.


Part B: (Medical Insurance) Premium

Most beneficiaries will continue to pay the same $96.40 premium amount in 2010. Beneficiaries who currently have the Social Security Administration (SSA) withhold their Part B premium and have incomes of $85,000 or less (or $170,000 or less for joint filers) will not have an increase in their Part B premium in 2010.

For all others, the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium will be $110.50 in 2010, which is a 15% increase over the 2009 premium. The Medicare Part B premium is increasing in 2010 due to possible increases in Part B costs. If your income is above $85,000 (single) or $170,000 (married couple), then your Medicare Part B premium may be higher than $110.50 per month.



2010 Part B Premium Amounts for Persons with Higher Income Levels:


If Your Yearly Income Is:

$85,000 or less
$96.40 if beneficiary has SSA withhold in 2009
$110.50 for all others

$85,001-$107,000
$154.70

$107,001-$160,000
$221.00 (edited: cut & pasted wrong number)

$160,001-$214,000
$287.30

Above $214,000
$353.60


Also:

If you have less that 40 quarters of Medicare covered employment (mostly younger people) then Part A is $254.00

If you have less that 30 quarters of Medicare covered employment (again, mostly young people) then Part A is $461.00

Add this to the $110.50, and the premiums are 364.50 or 571.50 (for young people or those who have not worked much under Medicare covered employment).

Add to this the additional premium amount if you make more than $85,000.



(from the SS site)

[avaistheone1]

6. That is pretty darn good.

[truedelphi]

7. Yes it is. It is damn good. We were paying

a whopping $ 957 a month for our COBRA.

$ 2600 a year for the two of us would be heaven!

[bluethruandthru]

2. Yet my ridiculous local (washington, DC) news babe

said yesterday that the "unpopular" medicare buy-in program had been stripped from the bill, blah, blah, blah....
It was all I could do not to call and say "unpopular, says who?"

[Zodiak]

4. beltway wisdom, ya know

The Democrats are not going to have it in their bill, therefore it is "unpopular"

polls....who the fuck reads polls?

This is the beltway, baby!

[truedelphi]

8. the Corporate Masters could not have made Change become Chains

Without the help of the news media and its delightful Talking Heads.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7244227&mesg_id=7244399

[Jamastiene]

3. Kick