October 15, 2015

Contact:    Larry McNeely
                   National Coalition on Health Care
                   lmcneely@nchc.org
                   202-638-7151

Without Congressional Action, Cost Increases to Hit Medicare Beneficiaries Just After the Holidays
Statement by National Coalition on Health Care President and CEO John Rother on the impending announcement of Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles increases

“Unless leaders on Capitol Hill get moving on a bipartisan solution, Congress will be leaving a very expensive lump of coal in the holiday stockings of seniors and disabled Americans.”

“If Congress does nothing, on January 1, millions of Medicare beneficiaries could face an unanticipated 52% increase in their Part B premiums and Part B deductibles will climb from $147 to $223. Just as importantly, this Medicare spike will impose even greater costs on employers’ retiree health plans  and shift billions in Medicaid costs to state taxpayers in all fifty states.”

Congress must act – both to stop the Medicare spike and to address the systemwide growth in health care costs that helped create it.

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For more information about the coming spike in Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles, see NCHC’s Oct 14 forum: The Medicare Cliff.

For more information on NCHC’s recommendations on health care affordability and value, click here.

The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), the oldest and most diverse group working to achieve comprehensive health system reform, is a 501(c)(3) organization representing more than 80 participating organizations, including medical societies, businesses, unions, health care providers, faith-based associations, pension and health funds, insurers and groups representing consumers, patients, women, minorities and persons with disabilities. Member organizations collectively represent – as employees, members, or congregants – over 100 million Americans.

Some members of NCHC do not, or cannot, take positions either on specific legislation, strategies or on any policies outside their respective mission areas. However, all that can, do endorse broad policy positions in support of comprehensive health system change.