"How Much Will Medicare Premiums Eat Into Social Security Next Year?"

Medicare Premiums Set to Rise $11 a Month Next Year Cutting into Social Security Benefits. "Beneficiaries now pay a premium of $78.20 a month. The administration said last week that the premium would rise to $87.70 next year. On Thursday, Medicare officials raised their estimate to $89.20. That amounts to a 34 percent increase in two years, from $66.60 in 2004." [New York Times, 4/1/05]