bushgang raises Medicare premiums by $10.30

[donsu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/medicare_premiums

Gov't Raises Medicare Premiums Again

Senior citizens and the disabled will have to pay a monthly Medicare premium of $88.50 next year for doctor's visits and other services, a $10.30 boost in the fee.

The 13.2 percent increase in premiums for Medicare Part B was in line with what government actuaries had been predicting. Even so, the Bush administration tried to lessen the pain of the announcement by touting the prescription drug benefit that begins Jan. 1.

-snip-

Kuhn said an increase in the number and intensity of services that doctors provide is driving the increase in the premiums. The volume of physician services grew at a rate of 6.3 percent last year and is expected to grow 5.6 percent this year. The volume of hospital outpatient services has grown at a similar rate

-snip-

For 2005, about 40 percent of the average cost-of-living increase went to pay for the increase in Part B premiums
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they are blaming the raise on doctors??!

don't get old, don't get sick and for Pete's sake don't live in the path of a storm, cause, folks, we are on our own.

[Justyce]

1. Like the senior citizens

can afford this -- I know my parents can *barely* make ends meet. Well, actually, they can't. They have to charge most of their medicines on credit cards every month as it is, which are nearly maxed out... I cannot believe we sit back & let them squeeze the ones who can't afford it while giving more breaks to the wealthy. Our government doesn't represent us anymore.

[Divernan]

2. This will more than wipe out cost of living increase for social security

recipients. I also expect my Mom's nursing home to significantly increase their monthly rates because of the increased costs of heating and air conditioning,not to mention the secondary increases in everything they buy because of increased shipping costs.