Government
Medicare Part B premium support passes House
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 5, 2009
The House passed legislation Sept. 24 that would keep Medicare Part B premiums at the current rate rather than going up by as much as 20%.
Due to automatic provisions built into current Medicare law, more than a quarter of the 42 million people enrolled in Part B are due to see their premiums rise to between $110 and $120 a month. The Medicare Premium Fairness Act would keep premiums at $96.40 per month.
The legislation, introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D, Calif.) and Rep. Dina Titus (D, Nev.), passed by a 406-18 vote. "This bill will protect seniors and the disabled from substantial premium hikes at a time when there is no increase in their Social Security checks," Waxman said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/05/gvbf1005.htm.
