Join the National Committee Renew Your Membership
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Social Security
Medicare
Other Aging Issues
Members and Supporters
Press Room





  • Become Involved
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Resources


  • Celebrating 25 Years of Advocacy

  • Home Page
  • Increase Text Size
  • Decrease Text Size

    • AddThis Social Bookmark Button Email This Page to A Friend Print This Page

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    December 27, 2006

    CONTACT:
    Pamela Causey 202/216-8378
    Kim Wright 202-216-8414

    THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
    ~ 4.6 Million Seniors ~ One Voice ~No Privatization ~


     

    The New Year Brings New Premium Hikes
    for Seniors in Medicare


    Some premiums will significantly increase on January 1st

    Beginning in 2007, more than one million Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be forced to pay much higher premiums than other seniors in the same program. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which established the Part D prescription drug benefit, requires that for the first time in the program's 41 year history seniors will no longer pay the same amount for the same health care services.

    "Means testing will begin to drive wealthier and healthier seniors out of traditional Medicare and into private plans; in fact, some analysts predict 50,000 seniors will leave in the first year alone. This exodus will increase overall costs, threaten public support for Medicare and not coincidentally, boost profits for private insurers."…Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO

    Congress' stated goal for means testing of the Part B premium is to save money; however, the Congressional Budget office reports that means testing saves barely three-tenths of one percent of Medicare's budget over the next ten years. Meanwhile premiums will double and triple for some seniors over just the first three years of means testing.

    More information on Medicare means testing and its impact on seniors can be found in our Viewpoint: Medicare Means Testing at http://www.ncpssm.org/news/archive/vp_meanstesting/.

    The National Committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the board of directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing a secure retirement for all Americans.