Legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate to prevent a potential 52% in Medicare Part B premiums.
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced a bill in the House (H.R. 3696) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S. 2148).
Medicare Part B premiums have the potential to increase drastically in January based on rising medical costs. For details on the situation, see Medicare Part B Premiums Are Scheduled to Rise 52% in January.
Rep. Titus called the situation “unfair” and said that her legislation, known as the Medicare Premium Fairness Act, would extend the 2015 premium and deductible rates through 2016 for all Medicare enrollees. What’s not clear is where the money would come from to cover the cost difference. Presumably, the government would add the shortfall to the overall deficit.
In a statement about the bill, Titus said, “My legislation will keep premium and deductible rates at 2015 levels, and will protect our seniors from shouldering the burden of these increases when too many are struggling to make ends meet. Such increases are unacceptable for seniors who count on every dollar of their benefits.”
