Think Progress

Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent

By Nico Pitney on Sep 17th, 2005 at 3:40 pm

Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent

next year, White House announces Friday afternoon — a 51 percent increase since 2003.

Comments
19

18 Responses to “Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent”

SpudgeBoy says:

Of course, late Friday afternoon announcement that the MSM won’t cover.

I work in a communications department and we would never dream of releasing anything late Friday unless we didn’t want coverage.
September 17th, 2005 at 3:47 pm
serfs says:

Well then there’s this.

http://www.osjspm.org/101_wealth.htm#6

http://www.fairtaxes4all.org/site/pp.asp?c=apIIIWMLG&b=4802
September 17th, 2005 at 4:01 pm
George: I'm glad I'm not you! says:

Let’s go for a boat ride at our estate!!

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2004/08/07/mn_bushboat108.jpg

Let’s talk with our buddies!!

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040419/040419_bush_saudi_hmed2p.hmedium.jpg

http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/jphuck/Book4Ch.1.html

A midyear financial report by the Samba Financial Group, one of the largest and most profitable private banks in the kingdom, said oil revenue this year is expected to reach $157 billion, a 48 percent increase over 2004’s oil revenue of $106 billion.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20050907-120456-6631r.htm
September 17th, 2005 at 4:17 pm
Marie says:

Don’t you just love the way stories like this that affect millions are released on a Friday afternoon?
The millions who exist only on Social Security for income and Medicare for health care are getting screwed again.
Bush, the compassionate conservative (an oxymoron if there ever was one), isn’t considering repealing the highway bill, the tax cuts for the wealthy, or keeping the estate tax for the millionaires, but he finds no problem with increasing health care maintenance costs for those who can least afford it. In addition, private health care plans for retiress are being phased out.
People who can afford it will continue to pay — for now – people who are living month-to-month are s.o.l.
September 17th, 2005 at 4:18 pm
Ron says:

He said that there would be no new taxes. What is a thirteen percent increase other than a tax?

You spend a life=time working a saving what you have earned after taxes so you can possibly have a nest egg for potential golden years. If you are lucky enough to save a couple of million dollars, the government still taxes those cash holdings at a 53 percent rate. So, all that you have saved from income that already been taxed to the hilt, you still must pay more. A rate of some 90 percent of your money earned is paid in taxes.

First they came for your check deductions, then they taxed your spending money, then they taxed your savings.

The State is the ultimate winner. Have a super day in the ‘Land of the Free.’ Ha, tell me another one.
September 17th, 2005 at 4:32 pm
Marie says:

Ron, if you have a nest egg of a couple million dollars, you would have a financial planner who would see that you never pay the “53%” tax.
FICA Payroll tax is regressive as it hurts the poor the most — once you earn “big bucks” you don’t pay the tax. Withholding is income tax. Tax on your savings is a tax on the interest it earns.
I am not defending our tax system, but let’s not make it worse than it is — rich people have a myriad of ways to shelter themselves and their families from taxes. It’s the low to middle income guy who loses.
September 17th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Clyde the Ripper says:

I am one of those Senior Citizens that have no income other than Social Security and no medical insurance except Medicare. As most of us know from sad experience as no notice was ever given by the MSM the Midicare deductible was increased this year by 100%. Yes, it was doubled. I started paying SSI in 1945 and continued to pay the full amount, as the maximum increased each year, for over 50 years. My actual check each month, in spite of the so called “Cost-of-living-adjustment”, is less now than my first check almost 10 years ago due to the increase in Medicare costs. I’ll help you with the math: I started paying SSI at 12, continued until I was 63 and will be 73 next year. As much as I detest this Administration I can still do my bit to bring them down. I still have my sense of humor, as droll as it may be. Check it out at http://www.storytimedolls.net/mmff.html
September 17th, 2005 at 5:10 pm
Phil S says:

Yes, Marie; whether or not Ron has a “couple million”, I have very little sympathy for those in that class. It’s been the little guy that’s gotten killed by this administration; and now they want more. And, they haven’t killed the estate tax-that’s still on the table. What do we get next Friday? A freeze on all federal subsidies to states?
September 17th, 2005 at 5:16 pm
Marie says:

#7 And we appreciate your humor and sage comments, Clyde!
September 17th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
Marie says:

Phil, I am not in Clyde’s place yet, but anyone with a heart and a brain that can multiply numbers can see that it’s a downhill slide for the ones who can afford it the least.
Subsidies to the states — you know they have already cut back on the federal funds to states, who provide Medicaid (health care insurance) for the poor.
Compassionate conservatism — yeah, right.
These bums are so out of touch with the average person’s every day life and worries, that they must be oustetd.
September 17th, 2005 at 5:25 pm
Ron says:

I am a little short of a ‘couple of million,’ believe me.

It isn’t the millionaires that I am worried about. They do pay their fair share. Especially professional athletes. They’re not even the group I am concerned about.

It is the multi-billionaires that should be taxed to ‘pay their fair share.’ Warren Buffet comes to mind. He’s worth forty billion. Ken Lay had ten ten million dollar houses. I mean, those cats have bucks. Bill Gates lives in a twenty-one million dollar house. he can afford to give. The super rich should be more than willing to give as much as they possibly can.

Rob Walton has been cashing in his Wal-Mart stock. He isn’t among the millionaires. He is light-years ahead of the millionaire crowd. He has 2.8 plus million shares of Wal-Mart. At forty-three dollars per share, he’s rich.

World’s richest

If I win the lotto, I’ll have millions. I won’t hold my breath. I have to work on Monday.
September 17th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
Clyde the Ripper says:

Thanks, Marie. We do not need charity yet (absolutely no sarcasm implied which is probably a first)as we learned a long time ago the Repug secret of tax avoidance. We are taxed on income and not outgo. If our expenses equal our income there is a net of zero. The only disadvantage is we don’t get the big tax rebates.
September 17th, 2005 at 6:59 pm
Hank says:

Marie your reply (4) to Ron about all the taxes he has to pay is right on the mark. I am so sick and tired of these types complaining constantly about taxes, I could puke. Anyone who has several million salted away and paying taxes on it in this country, as Ron said, is a in need of a shrink and a serious accountant.

They all want to support our troops with a magnet on our car; they are the first ones to complain that we don’t have enough police or border agents; they want safe airports and ports; safe skies; more prisons; better highways; better education and schools; on and on and on. They sound like that selfish, stingy-assed Bill O’Reilly and his carping about the “death tax” on the multi-millionaires.

Ron bought the “chicken in every pot” crap Bushco has been spewing since 1999. You should have told him, hay, bud, there ain’t no free ride—unless you are of the SUPER rich class, of course.
September 17th, 2005 at 7:03 pm
Nancy L. says:

A problem with Medicare is there is ‘no means testing’, in other words, eveyone is entitled to the same benefits, regards of how poor or how rich or in the middle. So Daddy Bush pays only a $75 premium a month for his Medicare Part B, just the same as Clyde the Ripper. Both get their Part A free. This is where the differences come in for them. Medicare does not cover 100%, of anything, there’s copays, deductibles, etc, etc. (it gets complicated, believe me!) The idea was people would pick up a medigap or supplemental insurance which would fill in what Medicare doesn’t pay. Supplemental insurance aren’t cheap, not when you’re on a limited monthly income. Almost nothing will cover prescriptions, except some insurance plans do offer a limited plan with some coverage, but it’s even more expensive.
So Clyde T.R. & Daddy Bush have to find a supplemental insurance. Otherwise, they will get bills from their medical providers after Medicare pays its share. Guess who can afford a supplemental(or in Bush’s case, probably a health plan that left with him, when he left office.) Clyde’s paying $75 a month for Medicare. Now he has to buy a supplemental, and by going with what the supplementals are costing in my state, he’s looking at another $150-$200 a month, at the very least, and he still has no prescription coverage. But Bush has fixed that, because in 2006, Medicare Part D is coming. D, as in disaster, the new Medicare prescription coverage. And that folks, is going to be a horror show. Too many seniors, either can’t see well enough to read the fine print, many will not be able to comprehend how the program works or even what it is, many will get confused and give up. And guess who are offering these prescription plans to Medicare recipients?…..the drug companies. I believe, as of October, these companies have been given the green light to start pushing their plans to Medicare recipients. They will be bombarding these people. Some states have 100 or more plans available. You have to be able to research the programs to see which one fits your needs the best and if you’re taking (I kid you not)15-20 prescriptions or more, do you have the time to look into them all, especially, if you’re 90 and blind? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The ‘means testing’ is, Daddy Bush can afford to pay more than $75 a month, for all the benefits he gets from Medicare, plus Medicare is usually the first payee, the other insurances pay after. Medicare beneftis are paid by the American people, and I have no problem paying into the system for our deserving retirees, but I do have a serious problem paying into it for someone like Daddy Bush who could not only pay his but Clyde’s and another few hundred people. There are many out there just like Bush, retired CEOs, retired senators, representatives, lobbyists. etc, etc. And just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse!
September 17th, 2005 at 11:52 pm
Marie says:

Nancy, Thank you for a clear and concise explanation of the Medicare system.
I worked for many years in the health care field, and am now dealing with aged parents — I know that you are 100% correct.
September 18th, 2005 at 12:05 pm
Sharon Cox says:

Nancy, wasent there a 68 billion givaway also tucked into that 1500 page bill for the HMO’s and pharmacutical’s, and it was submitted on a late Friday and voting demanded by the following Tuesday.? Know AARP backed it with out even knowing what was in it.. I was busy trying to get my Senators to stop the mess, most didn’t even get to read all the junk…..Blessings..
September 18th, 2005 at 9:51 pm
Nancy L. says:

Marie & Sharon,
Both my parents are dead, and though I miss them, I am so glad, none of us have to deal with what the government is doing to our seniors. I’m an outreach worker and worked for 12 year with an Area Agency on Aging. I still work with seniors and disabled individual at HUD housing.
Many of us tried fighting that give away. Many who belonged to AARP were ripped. One friend of mine, sent their letter back unopened and told them to withdraw his name from their mailing list and cancel his subscription to AARP. Word was many turned on AARP. Not to defend AARP, but I beliieve they were quoted as saying they had hoped it would turn out to be something to help, as opposed to getting nothing for help.
It was railroaded through. This is where someone in ? (was it cost analysis in DHS or Social Security)projected the amount of money to run this was much, much higher than was being told to Congress and the American people. The man was ordered by his supervisor to keep his mouth shut, because the it was feared that once Congress and the American people found out the exact cost, it wouldn’t pass, or the drug companies might not have a blank check
Granted the system isn’t perfect, but it wasn’t broke, or not that broke.
September 18th, 2005 at 10:09 pm
pussy fingering says:

pussy fingering

You are invited to visit some helpful info dedicated to teenagers wear thongs cum covered tits
November 20th, 2005 at 1:47 pm

Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent

Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent

18 Responses to “Medicare costs to spike up 13 percent”

Blogroll