The amount of Medicare disbursements for hospital insurance and supplemental medical insurance to seniors 65 years old or older who are enrolled in the federal program.
Medicare Outpatient Fees
Published Monday, September 22nd, 2008
As reported by WebMD, for the sixth time in Medicare’s 40+ year history, the program will not increase its Part-B, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor visits and out-patient services; however, premiums and deductibles for hospitals will increase. The Medicare Part-B one time deductible amount totals $135. The AARP said that although retirees can “breathe a sigh of relief,” “the average 73-year-old in Medicare has seen his or her premium double since joining the program.”
By law, the Medicare Part-B accounts for one-third of the cost of the program. Thus, when doctor’s fees and equipment expenses go up, so goes the retiree’s fee. In 2009, physicians fees are to rise 1.2%, but the surplus in the Medicare program will probably allow for the fees to remain steady.
However, with Social Security not keeping up with inflation and seniors increasingly at risk of falling into poverty with recent cost of living increases, seniors will have trouble just paying the part-B of Medicare. Plus, as disbursements for Medicare for both doctor and hospital visits rise, there will have to be an adjustment in the overall system for it to maintain its original mandate of access to modern medicine and protection against the high costs of medical care.
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