Democrats Move to Limit Record Medicare Rise (WebMD Medical News)

[Nambe]

WebMD Medical News (Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD)

Democrats blasted President Bush Wednesday over an expected record rise in seniors' Medicare premiums next year, vowing to push legislation to limit the increase.

The move comes on the heels of a Bush administration announcement late last week warning that beneficiaries' premiums for outpatient health services and doctor visits would jump 17.5% in 2005. The increase is the largest in Medicare's 40-year history and would boost seniors' monthly premium from $66.60 to $78.20.

Kennedy, along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and several other Democrats introduced a bill that would limit 2005 Medicare premium increases to Social Security's annual cost-of-living rise. That figure has averaged 2.4% since 2001 and is projected at 3% next year by Social Security.

Supporters said that the limit would prevent seniors dependent on Social Security from seeing their monthly checks greatly reduced by the Medicare increase.

"They never see the money. It's just deducted from their Social Security check," says Sen. Barbara Boxer (R-Calif.). ..