Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pelosi Says Boehner Is Stalling Efforts To Avert Medicare Premium Increase
The Hill: House Dems Blame Boehner For Stalled Talks On Medicare Deal
Top Democrats are accusing House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) of stalling a deal that would stave off massive increases in Medicare premiums for some beneficiaries next year. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday that she has been trying to work out a compromise with Boehner’s office to avoid Medicare cuts that would result in premium hikes as high as 50 percent. But with just two legislative days left until a critical deadline, Pelosi suggested that those talks have stalled. (Ferris, 10/7)
The Fiscal Times: Millions Face A 50% Medicare Premium Hike If Obama And Congress Don’t Act
Under mounting pressure from seniors and labor groups, congressional leaders and the Obama administration are rushing to find a way to avert a huge Medicare premium increase of 50 percent or more for nearly a third of the 50 million elderly Americans who are reliant on Medicare for their physician care and other health services. (Pianin, 10/7)
The Fiscal Times: Medicare Doesn't Cover Everything: Here’s How Much Retirees Are Paying For Health Care
It may come as a surprise to some younger Americans that health care isn’t exactly free for retirees on Medicare, but the sticker shock may be downright alarming. An average 65-year-old couple who retires this year will face out-of-pocket health-care costs of $245,000 in their golden years, a jump of 29 percent since 2005, according to a new study from Fidelity Investments. The surge in expected expenditures is due to longer life spans and the rising costs of prescriptions and medical care. (Picchi, 10/7)
USA Today: Medicare Part B Premiums To Rise 52% For 7 Million Enrollees
For seven in 10 Medicare beneficiaries 2016 will be much like 2015. They will pay $104.90 per month for their Medicare Part B premium just as they did in 2015. But 2016 might not be anything like 2015 for some 30% of Medicare beneficiaries — roughly 7 million or so Americans. That’s because premiums for individuals could increase a jaw-dropping 52% to $159.30 per month ($318.60 for married couples). And for individuals whose incomes exceed certain thresholds, premiums could rise to anywhere from $223.00 per month up to $509.80 (or $446 to $1,019.60 for married couples), depending on their incomes. (Powell, 10/7)
USA Today/Motley Fool: The Average American's Medicare Drug Plan Costs: Do You Pay Too Much?
Paying for health care is one of the biggest challenges that older Americans face, and that's why Medicare plays such an important role in the finances for those 65 and older. Yet Medicare can't insulate seniors from all of the increasing cost of healthcare, and those who need prescription drugs face the challenge of finding a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that both meets their specific needs and is affordable. (Caplinger, 10/7)
Modern Healthcare: Legislation Would Bar Medicare Advantage Plans From Dropping Doctors Midyear
Veva Vesper sees her skin cancer surgeon, Dr. Brett Coldiron, at least twice a month to manage her delicate health condition. Coldiron was an in-network physician when Vesper enrolled in her UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan last year, but she says that changed, much to her surprise. Vesper said UnitedHealthcare dropped her physician from its network, which would have forced her to pay higher out-of-network rates for care. ... “I had great anxiety trying to find another physician,” said Vesper, an Ohio resident who appeared with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) Wednesday as he announced he would reintroduce a bill outlawing Medicare Advantage insurers from cutting doctors out of their networks without cause during the middle of the year. (Herman, 10/7)
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Primary Care Initiative Yields Mixed Results
The CMS Innovation Center says the 483 medical practices participating in its Comprehensive Primary Care initiative achieved $24 million in gross Medicare savings, but few saved more than what the government paid them to coordinate patients' care. (Dickson, 10/7)
And CBO has released its latest budget numbers -
The Associated Press: Congressional Budget Office: Budget Deficit Drops To $435B
Congressional budget analysts said Wednesday that the federal government ran a deficit of $435 billion in the just-completed budget year, the smallest deficit since 2007 and well below the record shortfalls of President Barack Obama's first term. ... The stronger figures represent 8 percent growth in tax revenues, led by 10 percent growth in individual income taxes. Spending grew more slowly, though the cost of health insurance subsidies through exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act almost doubled, to $27 billion. CBO expects the deficit's downward trend to continue for a couple of more years but says long-term trends, driven by the continuing retirement of the baby Boom generation and its effect on benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security, will likely cause an eventual fiscal crisis. (Taylor, 10/7)
