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MEDICARE PART B PREMIUMS TO REACH $93.50 IN 2007,
MEANS-TESTING BEGINS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the monthly Medicare Part B premium for 2007 will be $93.50, up from $88.50 this year. In addition, under the 2003 Medicare Act, the federal government will begin phasing in higher premiums for seniors with higher incomes, making them pay a higher portion of the total cost. The standard premium (25 percent of the total cost) applies to individuals with adjusted gross incomes of under $80,000 ($160,000 for couples). Individuals with incomes between $80,000 and $100,000 ($160,000 to $200,000 for couples) will pay $106 per month (35 percent of the premium). Individuals with incomes between $100,000 and $150,000 ($200,000 and $300,000 for couples) will pay $124.70 per month in 2007. Individuals with incomes between $150,000 and $200,000 ($300,000 to $400,000 for couples) will pay $150.05 per month (65 percent of program costs). Individuals with incomes above $200,000 ($400,000 for couples) will pay $162.10 (80 percent of costs). All figures will be based on adjusted gross incomes on the previous year�s tax returns.
RECORD 46.6 MILLION U.S. RESIDENTS LACK HEALTH INSURANCE
The number of U.S. residents without health insurance increased by 1.3 million in 2005 to a record 46.6 million individuals, or 15.9 percent of the U.S. population, according to figures from the U.S. Census Current Population Survey released on Aug. 29. The data show that almost one in six U.S. residents was uninsured in 2005. In addition, the report finds that the percentage of U.S. residents with employer-sponsored health coverage decreased from 59.8 percent in 2004 to 59.5 percent in 2005, the lowest percentage since 1993. By comparison, in 2001, 14.6 percent of U.S. residents were uninsured, and 62.6 percent had employer-sponsored coverage. The report also finds that: The percentage of U.S. residents with any form of private coverage decreased to 67.7 percent in 2005, compared with 68.2 percent in 2004. The percentage of U.S. children without health insurance increased to 11.2 percent in 2005, compared with 10.8 percent in 2004. Minnesota had the lowest percentage of uninsured state residents at 8.7 percent, and Texas had the highest at 24.6 percent. Fully 32.7 percent of Hispanics, 11.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 19.6 percent of African Americans did not have health insurance in 2005. Almost 80 percent of the uninsured in 2005 were U.S. citizens. About 961,000 of the 1.3 million increase in the number of people uninsured was among full-time workers. Ken Thorpe, a professor at Emory University who was deputy assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1993 through 1995, commented, "We've had absolutely no federal effort or interest in insuring the uninsured since 2000. This has not been a priority of the Bush administration."
