WHO PAYS FOR NEW INSURANCE BENEFITS ?

[GailL1]

 When Congress passes a law adding to the benefits in Medicare plans, like the Prescription Drug Program (Medicare Part D)  - who do you think pays for these new benefits?  

  So whether it is

1. 1.  insulin cost with a cap - Part D plans must not apply the deductible to any Part D covered insulin product and must charge no more than $35 per month’s supply of a covered insulin product in the initial coverage phase and the coverage gap phase or
2. 2.  the elimination of cost-sharing for Part D drugs in the catastrophic phase of coverage or
3. 3.  the expansion of the Low-Income Subsidy program (LIS) under Part D to beneficiaries who earn between 135 and 150 percent of the federal poverty level and meet statutory resource limit requirements to provide for $0 premiums and low-cost, fixed copayments for covered prescription drugs  or
4. 4.  Part D plans not applying the deductible to an adult vaccine recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and must charge no cost-sharing at any point in the benefit for such vaccines.

  AND MORE -

Who do you think pays for these new things that are being covered?  The government?  The insurers?  Pharma?  The beneficiaries - the ones that do actually pay premiums for themselves and for those who can't.

Just askin for the thought process here -

This is just an example of one type of insurance product - 

[cat0w]

Sounds like a good question for our Congress representatives.

I know I have my income taxes withheld from my retirement each month.

I pay for my advantage plan, withheld from my Social Security each month. 

I make co-pays on my prescriptions. 

Maybe Google has an answer or Alexa.

Who pays for the United States elderly benefits? - Google Search

Border Collie and God Bless America

[EricC28201]

Given the current socio/cultural construct in the U.S., the question is off the mark.  Everybody pays so nobody pays.  The real question is:

How does the scam work and who's skimming the most?

[nctarheel]

@GailL1,

It is too bad that you pose a valid question to an important issue and all you hear in response is crickets. These discussion boards are devoid of readers with the exception of maybe a small group numbering LESS THAN what I can count on my fingers and toes.

You would figure with 38,000,000 members supposedly that even if an infinitesimal number of people responded to the posts on these boards, there would be more than the none, one, two , or, at best three responses that ANY POSTS get here.

Wonder why????????