2011 MEDICARE COST SHARING (SENIORS TO GET LESS in SS CHECK)

Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. ^ | 11/9/10 | N/A

[GailA]

Beginning in 2011, people who pay the income-related Part B premium will also pay an additional income-related Part D premium, known as a monthly adjustment amount. The monthly adjustment amount is not related to the premium of the plan in which such beneficiaries are enrolled, but is based on a percentage of the Base Beneficiary Premium for the year as determined by CMS. Thus, an individual with modified adjusted gross income of $86,000 will have a Part D monthly adjustment amount of $12.00 withheld from his/her check regardless of whether s/he enrolls in a plan with a premium of $14.85 or a premium of $40.

The monthly adjustment amount will be paid directly to Medicare through withholding from Social Security checks. Beneficiaries who pay the Part D monthly adjustment amount will continue to pay their regular Part D premium to the drug plan in which they enroll.

[GailA]

"Your guaranteed Medicare benefits won’t change — whether you get them through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.”

“First of all, if you've got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan" President Barack Hussein Obama

“Cynics beware, I am romantic about the National Health Service; I love it. … The NHS is one of the astounding human endeavors of modern times.” (Donald Berwick)

[GailA]

ping

[A CA Guy]

And AARP already raised their rates 15% in anticipation of Obamacare.

[blondee123]

They will not be able to live, to buy food, to survive with less in their SS checks & no increase in sight!

I have a wonderful neighbor, her husband worked hard all his life, she lost her SS when he passsed & now lives on just his.

She told me yesterday, she is living on pennies after she pays for her meds. I see the church bringing her food. She told my son she needed a winter coat, we bought her one.

This just makes me sick, too many seniors who never took a dime from the government & worked hard are now in dire conditions with little money to even purchase needed medicine!

Obamacare plan: kill the seniors!

[Red Badger]

Obamacare plan: kill the seniors!

What the Nazis called "useless eaters".......................

[GailA]

You should see the food commodities lines, they have doubled in the past year with frail old seniors. Who qualify for $10-30 in food stamps.

They will also need assistance for heating bills.

Actually your neighbor gained by going on her husband’s SS, as her’s was probably the smaller amount..which is my case..I would have only drawn $350 per month under my own SS.

[silverleaf]

So we all pay for “Part D” even if we don’t enroll in it?
But people who enroll in it see no premium increase?

Thank You George Bush. and Pelousi.

[mass55th]

"They will also need assistance for heating bills."

I live in central NY State, and receive social security and a pension. I'm fortunate in that I can pay my utility bills every month, but for some reason, National Grid is sending letters and making phone calls to everyone, advising them of being able to get help with their utility costs. I got the impression that they were pushing the HEAP program (Home Energy Assistance Program). I tossed the letter in the garbage and hung up on the recorded message when they called my home.

[unkus]

Obamacare plan: kill the seniors!

What the Nazis called “useless eaters”.......................

---

0bama and his commie ilk agree. Evil bastards.

[I am Richard Brandon]

Time for a UU>real</i> trade union for the old folks. Its primary mission would be to do battle with the AARP.

[I am Richard Brandon]

Time for a UU>real</i> trade union for the old folks. Its primary mission would be to do battle with the AARP.

[SunkenCiv]

...an individual with modified adjusted gross income of $86,000 will have a Part D monthly adjustment amount of $12.00 withheld from his/her check regardless of whether s/he enrolls in a plan with a premium of $14.85 or a premium of $40.

Thanks GailA. "s/he" -it.

[rabscuttle385]

Live by Fedzilla, die by Fedzilla.

[greyfoxx39]

Everyone should really read the information at the link before panicking. I can't see where one's Medicare will change at all unless one sticks with the original Medicare ONLY. I have and Advantage plan and the premium went from 0 to $30.00, but there are still zero premium plans available to me.

2011 MEDICARE COST SHARING 

 

On November 9, 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) released three notices detailing the Medicare Part A and Part B premiums and Deductibles for calendar year 2011.  See, 75 Fed. Reg. 68790-68802 (Nov. 9, 2010).

 

Advocates need to be aware of changes and complications for 2011 with regard to premiums in order to assist their clients.

 

PART B PREMIUMS

 

"Hold Harmless" Part B Premiums: As previously reported, the majority of Medicare beneficiaries will not see an increase in their Part B premium because there will be no Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2011.[1] A hold harmless provision in the Social Security Act disallows an increase in the Medicare Part B premium for qualifying Social Security recipients if their COLA is not large enough to cover the increase in the Part B premium.[2]  The Part B premium amount that protected beneficiaries will pay, however, will depend on whether they were protected by the hold harmless provision in 2010, or whether they first become eligible for hold harmless protection in 2011. 

 

Assuming no change in their circumstances, people who were protected by the hold harmless clause in 2010 will be protected again in 2011. They will continue to pay the same Part B premium, $96.40, which they paid in 2009 and 2010.  In addition, some beneficiaries who were not protected by the hold harmless clause in 2010 – primarily because they were new to Medicare in 2010 or because they did not have Part B premiums withheld from their Social Security or Railroad Retirement checks at the end of 2009 – will be protected by the hold harmless clause for 2011. These beneficiaries will continue to pay the same Part B premium, $110.50, which they paid in 2010.

 

Standard Part B Premium:  In addition to the two "hold harmless" Part B premium amounts, there will be a standard Part B premium amount of $115.40 for 2011.  Individuals who are new to Medicare in 2011 or who did not have Medicare premiums withheld from their Social Security or their Railroad Retirement checks in 2010 will pay $115.40.  Individuals who currently have their Part B premiums paid for by the Qualified Individual (QI) program[3] are in jeopardy of having to pay the $115.40 Part B premium in 2011 if Congress does not extend the QI program beyond the end of the year.  That is because their Part B premiums were not withheld from their Social Security checks during the requisite time periods to be eligible for the hold harmless protection.  Their premiums were paid for by their state under the QI program. People who lose eligibility for one of the other Medicare Savings Programs, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) and Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), will also have to pay the $115.40 Part B premium.

 

Income-Related Part B Premium: Individuals who pay the income-related Part B premium are not protected by the hold harmless clause.  The amount of the premium they will pay depends on their modified adjusted gross income and is indicated in the chart below.

 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) modified and clarified its definition of major life-changing events that allow a beneficiary to request a review of a determination which states that she must pay an income-related premium. Under the new rules, a beneficiary may request that SSA use more recent tax information to make the calculation if:

1. A beneficiary receives a settlement payment from a former employer in lieu of periodic pension payments and/or health insurance coverage as a result of the former employer's closure, bankruptcy or reorganization;
2. A beneficiary experiences a loss of investment property as a result of fraud or theft due to a criminal act by a third party;
3. A beneficiary experiences a reduction in or loss of income from an employer's pension plan due to termination or reorganization of the pension plan or a scheduled cessation of pension, regardless of whether the pension is insured.[4]

PART D PREMIUMS

 

Beginning in 2011, people who pay the income-related Part B premium will also pay an additional income-related Part D premium, known as a monthly adjustment amount.  The monthly adjustment amount is not related to the premium of the plan in which such beneficiaries are enrolled, but is based on a percentage of the Base Beneficiary Premium for the year as determined by CMS.  Thus, an individual with modified adjusted gross income of $86,000 will have a Part D monthly adjustment amount of $12.00 withheld from his/her check regardless of whether s/he enrolls in a plan with a premium of $14.85 or a premium of $40.

 

The monthly adjustment amount will be paid directly to Medicare through withholding from Social Security checks.  Beneficiaries who pay the Part D monthly adjustment amount will continue to pay their regular Part D premium to the drug plan in which they enroll.

 

2011 COST SHARING FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES

Hospital Deductible: $1,132 per spell of illness

Hospital Coinsurance:

• Days 0-60: $0
• Days 61-90: $283 / day
• Days 91-150: $566 / day

Skilled Nursing Facility Coinsurance

• Days 0-20: $0
• Days 21-100: $141.50 / day

Part A Premium (for voluntary enrollees only)

• With 30-39 quarters of Social Security coverage: $248 / month (a reduction from 2010)
• With 29 or fewer quarters of Social Security coverage: $450 / month (a reduction from 2010)

Part B

• Deductible: $162 / year
• Standard Premium: $115.40 / month*

Part B Income-Related Premium

Beneficiaries who file an individual tax return with income:	Beneficiaries who file a joint tax return with income:	Beneficiaries who are married, but file a separate tax return with income:	Income-related monthly adjustment amount	Total monthly Part B premium amount
Less than or equal to $85,000	Less than or equal to $170,000	Less than or equal to $85,000	$0.00	$115.40
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $107,000	Greater than $170,000 and less than or equal to $214,000		$46.10	$161.50
Greater than $107,000 and less than or equal to $160,000	Greater than $214,000 and less than or equal to $320,000		$115.30	$230.70
Greater than $160,000 and less than or equal to $214,000	Greater than $320,000 and less than or equal to $428,000	Greater that $85,000 and less than or equal to $129,000	$184.50	$299.90
Greater than $214,000	Greater than $428,000	Greater than $129,000	$253.70	$369.10

* The majority of beneficiaries will not see an increase in their Part B monthly premium from the 2010 amount ($96.40) thanks to the "hold harmless" provision of the Social Security Act  (42 U.S.C. §1395r(f)).  See the discussion of the hold harmless provision that is included in the following weekly alert: http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/InfoByTopic/PartB/PartB_10_01.21.PremiumIssues.htm.

Part D Income-Related Premium Adjustment

Beneficiaries who file an individual tax return with income:	Beneficiaries who file a joint tax return with income:	Beneficiaries who are married, but file a separate tax return with income:	Income-related monthly adjustment amount paid to Medicare
Less than or equal to $85,000	Less than or equal to $170,000	Less than or equal to $85,000	$0.00
Greater than $85,000 and less than or equal to $107,000	Greater than $170,000 and less than or equal to $214,000		$12.00
Greater than $107,000 and less than or equal to $160,000	Greater than $214,000 and less than or equal to $320,000		$31.10
Greater than $160,000 and less than or equal to $214,000	Greater than $320,000 and less than or equal to $428,000	Greater that $85,000 and less than or equal to $129,000	$50.10
Greater than $214,000	Greater than $428,000	Greater than $129,000	$69.10

 

It appears that the major chenge made is in introducing "means testing" beginning with incomes of $85,000/yr at a monthly cost of $12.00. I'm sure this is the "camel's nose in the tent", but I seriously doubt that low-income seniors will be affected anytime soon. In any case, unless someone sees these facts differently I doubt that low-income seniors will be adversely affected at this time and the scare-mongering editorial phrase of the thread title is, IMO misleading.

[GailA]

Yes they are pushing the HEAP program. Same as the ‘free’ cell phone ads we see on TV.

Not all are going to be as fortunate as to have both a pension and SS. For many SS is all they have. And women’s SS is lower on average than a man’s, because she earned less or worked less.

[Sun]

I hope the seniors who voted for Obama will vote more intelligently next time.

Of course, that goes for NON-seniors as well.

[Sun]

“She told me yesterday, she is living on pennies after she pays for her meds. I see the church bringing her food. She told my son she needed a winter coat, we bought her one.”

This is so sad.

[Sun]

As I said on another thread, tonight I just heard on tv a couple in my area received news from their health insurance company that handles their Medicare Advantage, that they will be dropped.

I think each year it will be worse.

[greyfoxx39]

I haven’t lost my Advantage plan yet, but am fully expecting it anytime. Hope and change, my foot!

[GailA]

Did you find the thread title misleading? 1 poster said it was.

SS recipients on Medicare are getting less in their SS checks because they being required to 'spread' the wealth by paying for some other persons Part D, and those on Part D are NOT having to pay more for their Part D.

The title says Seniors on SS are getting LESS in their SS check in 2011 because of

MEDICARE COST SHARING. 2011 MEDICARE COST SHARING (SENIORS TO GET LESS in SS CHECK)

Ret. Military over 65 are basically required to have Medicare A/B with Tricare for Life picking up as the secondary insurance and covering the part Medicare A/B doesn't and the RX's with co-pays.