I have always thought that any of these large programs are going to have people screaming at first until things get lined out and problems and dealt with to get the bugs out. Here is a good example.
The premium for new retirees in 2011 was $115.40; this group of retirees will now pay the standard premium of $99.90 per month, for a reduction of $15.50 in their monthly premium. New and prior retirees will receive a net increase in their Social Security check, given the recently announced cost-of-living increase (COLA) for 2012 of 3.6 percent. The 2012 COLA will increase Social Security monthly checks by an average of $43 per month, more than offsetting the modest Part B premium increase for prior retirees.
The good news didn’t stop there — the Medicare Part B deductible actually decreased by $22, from $162 last year to $140 for 2012. The deductible for Part A Hospital coverage increased from $1,132 in 2011 to $1,156 in 2012, a lower-than-expected increase, below increases in prior years and below the rate of inflation. This comes on top of news this summer that premiums for Medicare’s Part D, the prescription drug program, would decline ever-so slightly this year too.
Read more:
Medicare Premiums and Deductibles Lower Than Expected for 2012 - CBS MoneyWatch.com
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