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
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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
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All the entries posted on April 01, 2008.
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Home > Medicare Monitor > Archives > 2008 > April > 01
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
AARP launches ‘Keep Medicare Fair’ ads
AARP launches an ad campaign Wednesday in an effort to avert higher Medicare premiums.
The association for those 50 and older supports paying doctors more, but is trying to avoid having the boost in physicians’ pay show up in higher Part B Medicare premiums a year or two from now.
“We cannot keep shifting the costs of a broken health care system on to the backs of older Americans. We hope to raise awareness about the fact that people in Medicare have already seen their premiums skyrocket and should not be hit with even higher bills,” said AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane.
As part of its campaign, AARP has launched a new Web site KeepMedicareFair.org and is taking out ads in a number of inside-the-Beltway publications seen by lawmakers, including CongressDaily, CQ Today, The Hill, Politico and Roll Call.
The association’s AARP Bulletin, mailed to 23.5 million addresses, also features an article on the Medicare issue.
“Our 39 million members are already geared up for this debate because they’re tired of shouldering the burden of skyrocketing health care costs,” Sloane said. “Whether they’re already in Medicare or planning for their retirement, AARP members will be watching to see whether their representatives in Congress vote to keep Medicare fair.”
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Doctors pay a House call
Hundreds of doctors from around the country Wednesday will be calling on the House and Senate urging lawmakers to boost their Medicare reimbursement.
Congress dodged the issue in December when it agreed to delay a scheduled 10 percent Medicare fee cut for six months.
The docs plan a rally Wednesday morning across the street from the U.S. Capitol and then will be visiting the local House and Senate members. They’ll be urging support for a bill by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., that would eliminate the pay cut and replace it with a formula that increases reimbursements to more closely reflect medical inflation.
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