Medicare Drug Premium on Rise

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: WSJ

The average premium that seniors will pay for Medicare drug coverage in 2009 will rise, with the average for the 10 most-popular plans increasing 31%, according to an analysis of new government data.

The average premium will increase 24% to $37 a month for all standalone drug plans, up from $30 this year, according to Avalere Health LLC, a Washington, D.C., consulting company that analyzed data from Medicare, the federal health-insurance program for seniors.

The average monthly premium for Humana Inc.'s basic plan, for example, will rise to $40.83 in 2009 from $25.52 this year and $9.51 in 2006, the cheapest plan that year. The plan is the second largest by enrollment, with 1.5 million participants, and overall, Humana has 3.4 million people enrolled in Medicare drug plans. Monthly premiums can vary from county to county.

The nation's most popular plan with 2.7 million participants, UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s AARP "preferred" plan, will raise its average monthly premium to $37, 15.5% more from 2008. Overall, UnitedHealth plans have 5.4 million enrollees.



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122239167851577569.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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While you were sleeping.

[shraby]

1. That's because seniors will be getting

a small raise in their social security checks at the first of the year..we can't have that now, can we?
Almost every year now the raise has been a negative for most senior citizens because of the increase in insurance (medi-gap) (drug programs) (cost of having medicare).

[asjr]

2. The last two times I have refilled

my medication my arthritis pain medicine has gone up about $20.00. I am one refill away from the "doughnut hole." But still have to pay the premium. I hope to goodness Obama reforms the Medicare part D program.

[shraby]

5. I just have blood pressure med to take and

when I found out how much it would cost I told the doc he'd have to change to a cheaper drug. Then he left the room, came back with a card that looked like a credit card but was given by the company that makes the medicine and it gives me that prescription for 20 bucks as long as I have to take it..which is forever.
Say something to your doctor, maybe other places have similar cards.
My husband has no drugs he has to take and that is the only one I have to. Fortunately we're in Wisconsin and they have senior care which costs us 60 dollars a year and helps with drugs. We don't need the drugs, but it in the event we do because of some unforeseen disaster, by having senior care, if we need to move to the government drug program we won't have to pay penalties for not signing up when we became eligible.

[pattmarty]

3. This is the same type of bullshit that is right now happening.......

.....in the financial sector. This "let the market decide" with absolutely NO regulation at all is why health insurance is skyrocketing, the banks are falling and why this country is in the fucking mess that it's in. Fuck all these so called "conservatives" and their "compassionate" bullshit. And I say "NO FUCKING BAILOUT".

[AlphaCentauri]

7. Ironic that they don't want to bailout the poor, just the rich n/t

[Shallah Kali]

14. Corporate entities are more vaulable than human entities

This is one more reminder that they don't have compassion for anyone outside their group of haves and have mores - that is if they are not full on psychopaths. I can't decide which are more appalling the psychopaths or those who feel empathy for their group (family, religion, or socio-economic) but are more than willing to look the other way - or even exploit and profit - as the rest of humanity drowns like polar bears on melting ice floes.

[sandyj999]

4. They Have done this every year. Give the stupid piddly raise and then take it back. n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

6. the raise is for the insurance companies not for the elderly

[SharonAnn]

12. Medicare Part D was entirely for the parmaceutical companies, not the elderly.

[whistle]

8. Did John McCain support this?

[Vinca]

9. No regulation = screwed consumers. nt

[WePurrsevere]

10. FYI: Please remember: Medicare is NOT just seniors....

it's also the disabled.

The COLA is totally or mostly eaten up by these rising costs of Medicare (doctor care and Rx) and every year lately. My DH and I haven't signed up for the drug program and won't until it's fixed. We simply can't afford the extra cost with other costs so high so we have to hope like heck that we don't need anything that costs an arm and a leg even after the discount the county we live in offers (thankfully).

Someone must do something soon... it's really hurting so many of us.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Pretty soon medical care will be too expensive for seniors and we will enter the Soylent Green era

here in the US.

[tridim]

13. Vote McCain seniors, he'll fix it!

:eyes:

[Shallah Kali]

15. I am waiting for all the self-proclaimed Pro-Life politicans to rush out to save our Seniors

and disabled Americans from inflated medication costs.................


{{{sound of crickets}}}

[and-justice-for-all]

16. That's just robbery....nt

[mbperrin]

17. Ten bucks a month for seniors? Can't afford it!!!! $700 billion for fatcat bankers??

Top emergency priority!!! Get right on it!!!

I often hope that there really is a genuine burning hell like they talked about when I was a kid.....