Support grows for Medicare premium boost

[jamesinca]

Support grows for Medicare premium boost
Congress' plan would apply to affluent seniors

Robert Pear, New York Times Monday, October 6, 2003

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Washington -- With unexpected support from some Democrats, Republican negotiators from the House and the Senate say they are seriously considering a change in Medicare that would require high-income elderly people to pay higher premiums than other beneficiaries.

The discussions come as the negotiators step up their efforts to reach agreement by Oct. 17 on a bill to overhaul Medicare and add prescription drug benefits.

The proposal to link premiums to income raises a huge philosophical and political question: Should wealthy people pay more for Medicare?

Republicans like Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma say such a requirement is a sensible, progressive way to slow the growth of federal Medicare spending. The Senate majority leader, Bill Frist of Tennessee, said the Medicare negotiators had "a mandate" to charge affluent people somewhat more.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/10/06/MN5013.DTL

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This is unheard of, asking the rich to pay more for a service. I wonder what the repugs are asking for in exchange?

[Buns_of_Fire]

1. They're easing back towards the center for the electon

Bunnypants will do the same. The first tipoff is putting "Nickles" and "progressive" in the same sentence. And what on earth "mandate" is Frist talking about?