[AFP/David Furst]


Song in my head
If you start me up
If you start me up..
I'll never stop
Rolling Stones


Medicareless

Since I have been on Medicare the monthly premiums have risen to keep pace with the rising cost of doctor's fees. According to a recent New York Times article the monthly premiums are likely to rise again along with a 5.1% cut that Medicare will pay for doctor's visits. This will result in less doctors attending to seniors and the alter-abled on Medicare. The State of Oregon pays my monthly premiums while I pay $51.90 a month for a supplemental medicare policy.

Here is the cost of my Medicare premiums since I have been on Medicare.

• 2004 $66.60
• 2005 $78.20
• 2006 $88.50
• 2007 $98.40 (proposed)
  

This does not include the monthly premium for Medicare Part D prescription coverage.

The Bush administration on Tuesday proposed a cut of 5.1 percent across the board in Medicare payments for services provided by doctors to elderly and disabled patients in 2007.

It said the cut was required because spending on doctors’ services was increasing faster than expected, and faster than the annual goals set by a statutory formula.

The increase directly affects beneficiaries because their premiums are set each year to cover about 25 percent of projected spending under Part B of Medicare, which pays for doctors’ services and other outpatient care.

Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Tuesday that the premium would probably rise to $98.40 next year, up $9.90 or 11 percent over this year’s premium. The figures do not include separate premiums paid by many beneficiaries for prescription drug coverage.

“Our current system of paying for physician services is simply not sustainable, from the point of view of taxpayers or Medicare beneficiaries,’’ Dr. McClellan said.

The White House, Congress and doctors have been talking for more than a year about ways to link Medicare payments to the quality of care doctors provide. To date, they have not offered any specific proposals and are still seeking ways to measure the quality of care, particularly for medical specialists.

More than 42 million people are insured by Medicare. Officials estimate that the program will pay $61.5 billion to 875,000 doctors and other health care professionals next year.

Such spending has increased sharply in recent years, Dr. McClellan said, because of “increases in the number and complexity of services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries, including more frequent and intensive office visits, and rapid growth in the use of imaging techniques, laboratory services and physician-administered drugs.’’ NYT Article