Etcetera
A December 2009 survey of 1,030 Medicare-eligible retirees revealed that 75.1 percent believe their out-of-pocket health care/medical costs will go up in 2010. The survey also revealed that 69.6 percent believe that if healthcare reform legislation goes into effect, their out-of-pocket costs will go up.
The survey was fielded by Extend Health, Inc., which operates the largest private Medicare exchange in the country. The survey results highlight the mixed feelings retirees have about the impact of healthcare reform legislation on their personal financial situation, according to Brian Bohlig of Extend Health. “Rising out-of-pocket medical costs are important because more than half of Americans 65 and older rely on Social Security as their primary source of income,” Bohlig says. “Every dollar counts.”