Rise in Medicare premiums less than feared in 2012

[ProSense]

Source: Associated Press

<...>

The new Part B premium for outpatient care will be $99.90 a month for 2012, or about $7 less than projected as recently as May.

The bottom line: most seniors will pay an additional $3.50 a month next year, instead of $10.20, as forecast earlier.

Some younger retirees who enrolled recently have been paying up to $115.40 a month. Instead, they'll get a sizable break next year.

<...>

Medicare's Part B annual deductible, the amount beneficiaries pay before their coverage begins, will also drop next year to $140, a decrease of $22.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/rise-medicare-premiums-less-feared-2012-151546856.html

[No Elephants]

1. IOW, Medicare premiums are going up again, even as Dems put Medicare cuts on the table

of the Super Committee.

[ProSense]

2. Luckily

the Republicans rejected Baucus' offer.

All in all, a $3.50 increase is a lot better than a $10 increase, especially when coupled with a $22 decrease in deductible.

[No Elephants]

5. Unluckily, they are increasing the premium, even as they propose cuts to benefits.

[ProSense]

8. Also, here's

some good news about Social Security.

Let's hope things continue to improve.

[DURHAM D]

3. Not for me. Its going down. nt

[totodeinhere]

13. It is a shame that they are going up at all, but most seniors expected a bigger hit than that. And

most private insurance has gone up much more than that lately.

[Systematic Chaos]

4. I'm sure glad that the Medicare I can't even afford won't be getting as additionally expensive as...

...first thought.

I'll sleep a whole lot better now. Really.

[Divernan]

6. Don't forget that the Part B premium is deductible on fed taxes if you itemize

and your medical expenses are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (and mine always are). So that's a
$1,198.80 tax deduction.

[dmosh42]

11. Thanks for that info. Never thought of that when doing my taxes.

[Kingofalldems]

7. My FEHB monthly actually is going down next year.

Yay!

[grasswire]

9. it's infuriating that $10/month makes so much difference to millions...

....of Americans because of the 1%.

Seriously, we are talking about $10/month as if it is a fortune. That is an indication of how skewed our capitalist system is. Look at an hour's worth of television advertising and then consider how much value there is in $10.

[RebelOne]

10. That's good news, especially since we are getting a cost

of living adjustment in 2012. I thought that Medicare premiums would be going up, which would wipe out the COLA.

[Hoyt]

12. Looks like COLA won't be offset completely by Medicare premium increase as many proclaimed.

None of us will be throwing a party or anything, but much better than the fears previously expressed.

[Fool Count]

14. Yeah, that's the way to do it - start with a lot of fear and then

whatever happens will be "less than feared" bringing so much relief, not to mention
excellent headlines.

[defendandprotect]

15. Unfortunately, after two years of missing COLA's post-W's inflationary wars .....

whatever the increase in Medicare I would imagine it will be difficult for seniors!!

Allegedly they'll be a 3.6% increase in Social Security -- certainly not sufficient

to make up for W Bush years and the inflation.