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Monday, October 06, 2003With unexpected support from some Democrats, Republican negotiators from the House and the Senate say they are seriously considering a change in Medicare that would require elderly people with high incomes to pay higher premiums than other beneficiaries. ....In the past, Democrats have vehemently opposed the idea. But some of the social policy experts most respected by liberal Democrats now say they are receptive to it, as a way to avert cuts in Medicare and other domestic programs. Pressure for such cuts will increase, they say, as budget deficits grow and baby boomers cash in their claims to Medicare and Social Security. Most of the 40 million Medicare beneficiaries now pay the same premium, $58.70 a month, or about $704 a year, for doctors' services and other outpatient care. Under one proposal being discussed by House and Senate negotiators, premiums would rise gradually with a beneficiary's income. The change would affect only people with annual incomes above a certain level, perhaps $75,000 or $100,000. Individuals with incomes exceeding $200,000 could see their premiums triple, to about $2,100 a year. And that's still a bargain compared to what working people with much lower incomes pay for health insurance. Still, there are those who object, predictably: AARP, the lobbying group for older Americans; labor unions like the United Automobile Workers; and some liberal Democrats, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, say levying an extra charge on affluent beneficiaries would undermine the universal nature of Medicare. Such a change, they say, would be a dangerous first step in turning Medicare from a universal social insurance program into a welfare program. Does that mean they think it's wrong for the government to help the needy without also helping the rich? posted by Sydney on 10/06/2003 07:42:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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