Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Flat Social Security Benefits, Medicare Premium Boosts Mean Pricey 2016 For Some
Marketplace: Rising Medicare Premiums Mean A Big Increase For Some
Two things tend to happen every year. First, Social Security benefits rise. Second, premiums for Medicare Part B — which covers inpatient treatment, the cost of doctors and certain drugs — also rise. But what makes this such an unusual year is that Social Security benefits are flat for 2016. (Gorenstein, 10/9)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Battle Begins Against Possible Rise In Medicare Premiums
A tight year for Medicare could force millions of seniors to pay at least $650 more for the public insurance in 2016, sparking a likely showdown between policymakers and activist groups. AARP promises to fight the 52 percent increase in premiums forecast for nearly a third of Medicare Part B beneficiaries, including higher-income families and those enrolling in the program for the first time. All enrollees could see yearly deductibles climb from $147 to $223 under Part B, which covers outpatient services, emergency visits and other medical care for more than 47 million elderly and Americans with disabilities. (Smeltz, 10/11)
Tampa Bay Times: Medicare Enrollment Period Offers A Chance To Shop For Coverage, But Many Don't
When it comes to guiding seniors through Medicare's annual open enrollment period, most experts sound a lot like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Their oft-repeated advice: You better shop around. ... Yet, many beneficiaries are reluctant to change their health or drug plans — even if means saving money. (McGrory, 10/11)
Oregonian: Medicare 2015: More Doctors Rejecting Original Medicare
C.J. Reynolds is grateful for the care she's received at Oregon Health & Science University. But any time she's referred outside the system, the 69-year-old Portlander crosses her fingers. "I've had a heck of a time if I go outside OHSU looking for any kind of specialist, finding a doctor who will take standard Medicare, and that's a real problem," Reynolds said. ... Nationwide, 91 percent of non-pediatric doctors say they take new Medicare patients, according to an analysis of 2012 government survey data by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based policy research organization. Only 2 percent of seniors reported problems finding a provider when they needed one. ... But Oregon doctors accepted Medicare at the lowest rate of any state in the Kaiser survey: 79 percent. (Hunsberger, 10/10)
