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Proposal Would Make Seniors Pay Significantly Higher Medicare Costs
Alexandria, VA (October 4, 2005) - Seniors would pay significantly higher costs for Medicare under recent proposals to "offset" the government's cost of hurricane relief, warns a national nonpartisan seniors issues advocacy organization[1]. "Congress and the President [2] appear to be using hurricane disaster relief as an excuse to cut Medicare benefits," states Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of TREA Senior Citizens League (TSCL). "The proposals would make retirees and the disabled pay the cost of federal disaster relief efforts in higher Medicare costs," he says. Dubbed "Operation Offset," the proposals include raising the portion of the Medicare Part B premium that beneficiaries must pay, higher deductibles, and would add new co-insurance costs. "Should these proposals be allowed to pass, Medicare recipients would spend an estimated $203.7 billion in higher costs over the next ten years,"[3] says McCutchen. "That would cover the entire estimated $200 billion in Katrina relief costs,"[4] he adds. The Medicare premium has increased dramatically in recent years. The federal government announced that the Medicare Part B monthly premium would jump more than 13% in 2006, from the current $78.20 to $88.50.[5] In the past three years alone the Medicare Part B premium has gone up 45%.[6] Over the same three years, however, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) have only increased a total of 6.2%.[7] "Seniors are telling us that the increases in Medicare costs are 'cutting' their Social Security benefits," McCutchen says. "If these proposals are allowed to move forward, many seniors could see catastrophic increases in their Medicare and supplemental insurance costs," he adds. TSCL supports measures that would slow the growth in Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs that seniors have to pay. "We urge seniors to contact Members of Congress to protest using hurricane disaster relief to mask huge, unaffordable cuts to our Medicare benefits," McCutchen declares. "Let's tell Congress to stop these catastrophic Medicare cost increases now!" TSCL is a national group of politically active seniors concerned about the protection of their earned Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement benefits. TSCL members participate in a number of grassroots lobbying and public education campaigns designed to ensure governmental bodies, including the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, live up to their commitments. For more free information on our organization, please contact TREA Senior Citizens League, Department S608Y, [1] "Operation Offset, RSCL Budget Options 2005," Republican Study Committee, Distributed by The Senior Exchange, Inc. Serving The Mature American With Timely, Low-Cost, Self-Help Information October 2005 | ||||||||
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