Seniors to pay 12% higher premiums for medicare next year

March 24 (Bloomberg) -- Medicare may raise U.S. seniors' health-insurance premiums by 12 percent next year because of higher payments to doctors, a government report showed.

The increase would push premiums for doctor visits up 49 percent over three years to $87.70 a month, the health-insurance program's trustees said in an annual report yesterday. A separate premium for drug coverage would be $37.37 a month.

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Pollack's group found that patients' total out-of-pocket costs for Medicare next year would consume about 37.2 percent of a 65-year-old's Social Security check, and 42.7 percent of an 85- year-old's check. Five years later, that amount would exceed 39 percent for the 65-year-old and 44 percent for the 85-year-old, Pollack said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a6A8b4mPIqOA&refer=top_world_news

But watch out- SS is in CRISIS!!! Sick f^%$s

...if they're still glad they voted for Bush.

and the news related in the article.

health care, or lack of affordable healthcare, is a real issue that affects many many many people. Yet bush* claims he fixed that with his medicare drug card. Everyday new headlines abound regarding the ever increasing cost if you get sick, and the ever diminishing help you will receive from our great leaders. And they are going after SS, as if that is a crisis.

I don't know how he would buy any other companies or those extra mansions without that tax cut.

I don't know why seniors can't just pray for the extra money. Or maybe stand on a street corner with a tin cup and pray for it.

Where are people who totally depend on Social Security supposed to live? How are they supposed to pay for food? What about paying for utilities, especially heat?

These statistics reveal the really bad state of our economy overall. We don't notice it yet because we are still able to get cheap imported junk. In fact, our economy is tanking -- low wages, mean low tax and social security revenues and huge government deficits on which we owe interest. And Bush wants to make his tax cuts for the rich permanent. What a cruel joke.

are living only on their social security funds. Personally - I don't know any seniors that don't have other sources of income.

My parents have lived in retirement communities for 15 years and they constantly talk about the number of seniors that go to the doctor all of the time just because they are lonely and it doesn't cost them anything. My parents feel that they squander their children's and grandchildren's future.

enthralled with feeding tubes??? Always watch what is going on behind the scenes when the big circus is being paraded in front of the people.