Medicare Monitor
The Palm Beach Post's veteran Washington correspondent, Larry Lipman, tracks policy makers and interest groups who are shaping the future of the federal health insurance program for the elderly.Medicare Web Resources
Government
•Medicare
•Medicare Frequently Asked Questions
•Medicare Booklet
•Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
•Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
Organizations
•AARP
•America's Health Insurance Plans
•Brookings Institution
•Center for Medicare Advocacy
•Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
•Century Foundation
•Commonwealth Fund
•Families USA
•Florida 50+
•Heritage Foundation
•Kaiser Family Foundation
•Medicare Rights Center
•National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
•National Academy of Social Insurance
•National Center for Policy Analysis
Blogs
•AARP Issues Blog: Medicare
•Cato Institute Health Care Blog
•Entitled to Know National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
•The Health Care Blog
Medicare at a glance
Medicare is the federal health care system that covers about 36 million people age 65 and older, plus 7 million disabled. It has four parts:
Financed by a 2.9 percent payroll tax divided equally between employees and employers.
Financed by beneficiary premiums and federal general revenue. Current monthly premiums are $93.50. Starting this year, individuals whose taxable income is more than $80,000 will pay a higher premium.
Financed by Medicare and beneficiary premiums, which vary among plans.
The plans are private and financed by Medicare and beneficiary premiums, which vary among plans.
-- Larry Lipman
RSS feed
What's on this page →
The entry titled "Leavitt: Medicare a 'drag'," and any of the comments about it.
Categories
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F
Recent entries
Home > Medicare Monitor > Archives > 2007 > December > 19 > Entry
Leavitt: Medicare a ‘drag’
HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt says he’s constantly concerned about Medicare.
Leavitt told a National Press Club luncheon audience Wednesday that the Medicare program “is not sustainable” in its current form and “could be a significant drag on American prosperity.”
“It’s the kind of problem, unless dealt with, that could bring our country to its knees.”
Leavitt said it will require “some discipline” to prevent Medicare from taking an increasingly larger bite out of federal spending.
He defended a recent law that requires President Bush next year to submit a plan to reduce the federal general revenue share of Medicare funding to less than 45 percent.
Comments
By Bob Foster
December 28, 2007 7:57 PM | Link to this
I wonder about the priorities our representatives and appointed executive branch staffers. If we, as a country, are not committed to a strong domestic program, who will come to our aid when our economy is weak? In my opinion, we should assure all our programs are sound that provide care for U.S.A. tax payers. I beleive this should be our country’s elected or appointed officials highest priority.