U.S. Medicare Premiums for 2017 Announced

[Pib]

Full details are at link below....a partial quote from the link is also below.  Lots of possible premiums depending on your income, if you were already signed up for Medicare before 2017, etc.

 

https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Press-releases/2016-Press-releases-items/2016-11-10-2.html

 

Quote

On October 18, 2016, the Social Security Administration announced that the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits will be 0.3 percent for 2017. Because of the low Social Security COLA, a statutory “hold harmless” provision designed to protect seniors, will largely prevent Part B premiums from increasing for about 70 percent of beneficiaries. Among this group, the average 2017 premium will be about $109.00, compared to $104.90 for the past four years.

 

For the remaining roughly 30 percent of beneficiaries, the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will be $134.00 for 2017, a 10 percent increase from the 2016 premium of $121.80. Because of the “hold harmless” provision covering the other 70 percent of beneficiaries, premiums for the remaining 30 percent must cover most of the increase in Medicare costs for 2017 for all beneficiaries. This year, as in the past, the Secretary has exercised her statutory authority to mitigate projected premium increases for these beneficiaries, while continuing to maintain a prudent level of reserves to protect against unexpected costs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with Congress as it explores budget-neutral solutions to challenges created by the “hold harmless” provision.

 

 

[sirineou]

I am 59 will not be ready for Medicare for an other 6 years, but I might be able to leverage a heart condition. ( aortic valve replacement , and resulting arrhythmia) in to disability if conditions require. So far so good.

Non the less I follow these threads, so as to , when the time comes  be educated in this IMO complicated subject.

Thank you for taking the time to post this Info, 

[IAMHERE]

From those according to their ability and to those according to their need. Yep, get the 30% that get a good income and make them pay for those 70% with low incomes.

[Mr0Yallow]

555, I do not even try to use medicare while outside the USA. I have been told medicare does not cover anything outside the USA. but I have discovered that medical care is really cheap here. I went to Lad Phrao General Hosp for pain from kidney stones, consultation, ER fees, x rays, IV & several prescriptions the total bill was <5000 Baht. Hell in the US that would not even cover the deductible for an ER visit.

 

[radiochaser]

14 hours ago, Mr0Yallow said:

555, I do not even try to use medicare while outside the USA. I have been told medicare does not cover anything outside the USA. but I have discovered that medical care is really cheap here. I went to Lad Phrao General Hosp for pain from kidney stones, consultation, ER fees, x rays, IV & several prescriptions the total bill was <5000 Baht. Hell in the US that would not even cover the deductible for an ER visit.

 

My last emergency room visit cost, in baht, about 1,225,000, in a Pennsylvania, USA .   That was about 2004 or 2005.

My last emergency room visit in Bangkok was about 6000 baht.  Maybe a little less. 

 

 

[Grubster]

16 hours ago, Mr0Yallow said:

555, I do not even try to use medicare while outside the USA. I have been told medicare does not cover anything outside the USA. but I have discovered that medical care is really cheap here. I went to Lad Phrao General Hosp for pain from kidney stones, consultation, ER fees, x rays, IV & several prescriptions the total bill was <5000 Baht. Hell in the US that would not even cover the deductible for an ER visit.

 

Yes and had you been in the US and had good insurance they probably would have told you they needed to do MRIs, surgical probes and who knows what while you were at their mercy in great pain. I had the same thing you did here, WoW that was bad pain, they put some morphine and stone dissolving meds in my IV and told me that I needed to avoid dehydration and sent me on my way with morphine pills. Three days later it was completely gone and I paid about the same you did.  Easy here isn't it?

[hawker9000]

"while continuing to maintain a prudent level of reserves to protect against unexpected costs"

 

Uh, "unexpected costs", like having to pay for Obamacare?   Just another reason why Trump needs to keep his promise and kill it.   As if $500B wasn't bad enough...   I wonder how many of those who've reached Medicare age, or are about to, realize their monthly premiums, and their "contributions" throughout their working lives, are now being stolen to pay for the UCA as well as Medicare??

 

http://dailysignal.com/2012/08/01/obamacare-robs-medicare-of-716-billion-to-fund-itself/

 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by hawker9000

[Pib]

On 11/22/2016 at 7:05 AM, radiochaser said:

My last emergency room visit cost, in baht, about 1,225,000, in a Pennsylvania, USA .   That was about 2004 or 2005.

My last emergency room visit in Bangkok was about 6000 baht.  Maybe a little less. 
 

 

Rather than totally relying on a far right blog, you might also want to read the CBO reports (various) for what they actually said and the full picture.  One such report below.  Love or hate the ACA it will not be repealed, just modified (replaced as the Republicans call it).

https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/reports/50252-Effects_of_ACA_Repeal.pdf

 

Quote

Effects on Direct Spending for Medicare, Medicaid, and Other Programs The ACA made numerous changes to payment rules and rates for Medicare and Medicaid, and it made other changes to certain other federal health programs as well. On net, CBO estimates, repealing those provisions would increase direct federal spending by $879 billion over the 2016–2025 period, mostly because of changes in spending for Medicare, which would rise by an estimated $802 billion (see Table 4). Repealing the provisions of the ACA that are not related to insurance coverage would increase federal spending for Medicaid by about $66 billion over that period, mostly because of increases in payments for prescription drugs and payments to hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of uninsured or lowincome patients.11 On net, direct spending for other health programs would increase by about $10 billion, CBO estimates. Nearly all of the net increase estimated for direct spending for Medicare—about $715 billion of the estimated $802 billion—would stem from repealing provisions of the ACA that imposed reductions in payment rates or slowed increases in payment rates (relative to prior law) for services covered under Parts A and B of Medicare; those benefits are provided either through the traditional fee-for-service sector of the Medicare program or through private insurance plans.

 

[Mr0Yallow]

On 11/22/2016 at 9:22 AM, Grubster said:

Yes and had you been in the US and had good insurance they probably would have told you they needed to do MRIs, surgical probes and who knows what while you were at their mercy in great pain. I had the same thing you did here, WoW that was bad pain, they put some morphine and stone dissolving meds in my IV and told me that I needed to avoid dehydration and sent me on my way with morphine pills. Three days later it was completely gone and I paid about the same you did.  Easy here isn't it?

I did have great insurance in the US the first time I had stones, they did not do an MRI, but as I recall they did do a cat scan. I think they did give me morphine then, and a script for Hydrocodone. Yes, it was caused by poor diet & lack of hydration. Here in Thailand They would not give me any pain killers as strong as Morphine or Vicodin, I think they gave me something like Percocet or Tylenol with codeine. lol it helped, but did not alleviate the pain.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Mr0Yallow
omissions of facts

[Grubster]

10 hours ago, Mr0Yallow said:

I did have great insurance in the US the first time I had stones, they did not do an MRI, but as I recall they did do a cat scan. I think they did give me morphine then, and a script for Hydrocodone. Yes, it was caused by poor diet & lack of hydration. Here in Thailand They would not give me any pain killers as strong as Morphine or Vicodin, I think they gave me something like Percocet or Tylenol with codeine. lol it helped, but did not alleviate the pain.

I hate to be the bringer of bad news but Tylenol with Codeine is Vicodin and Hydrocodone is Vicodin too. Good luck getting outpatient  Morphine in the US, it aint gonna happen. They knew that they could see everything they needed with an ultrasound but gave you a cat scan for ten times the price as your insurance would allow it. Yes great insurance they can just raise the rates when they all agree. Then if anything goes bad the lawyers sue and the rates for medical and insurance go up again. Best system in the world by far.

[Mr0Yallow]

10 hours ago, Grubster said:

I hate to be the bringer of bad news but Tylenol with Codeine is Vicodin and Hydrocodone is Vicodin too. Good luck getting outpatient  Morphine in the US, it aint gonna happen. They knew that they could see everything they needed with an ultrasound but gave you a cat scan for ten times the price as your insurance would allow it. Yes great insurance they can just raise the rates when they all agree. Then if anything goes bad the lawyers sue and the rates for medical and insurance go up again. Best system in the world by far.

I am aware Hydrocodone is the generic name for the Vicodin brand. but Tylenol 3 is not the same as Vicodin from what I have read. I think comparing Tylenol 3 (tylenol with codeine) is like comparing Vicodin to oxycontin/oxycodone. 

 

"Regular strength Vicodin contains hydrocodone and APAP (acetaminophen AKA tylenol) 5mg of hydrocodone/500 mg of tylenol. Tylenol #3 aka tylenol with codeine has 30mg of codeine and 300 mg of tylenol (there is a tylenol #2 with different strength of the codeine of but I dont recall ever hardly seeing it in practice). So NO, they are not the same. The difference? Well without divulging deep into chemistry the hydrocodone is a stronger pain reliever than straight codeine. Please, please be careful with either drug most importantly (and maybe suprisingly) because of the tylenol in each pill. Do NOT exceed 4,000 mg/day of tylenol because it can cause severe toxicity to the liver and even death (not even kidding). Hope this helps.
-The doc"

 

But yes I understand the fallacies of the corporate insurance world. I believe for profit health care is criminal. I support single payer, (as does my primary physician). If a doctor is primarily motivated by profit, let them become plastic surgeons.