Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1966-02-01 / 2. szám
FRATERNITY 3 MEDICARE This article was published in the Oct. 1965 issue of the Fraternal Monitor and explains some of the major provisions of the Medicare Social Security bill which becomes the law of the land in July 1966. Because all our members and prospects are interested in this law, we are happy to reprint the article in the hope that it will serve as an educational and helpful information to all our readers. — J. K. ★ ★ ★ BASIC PLAN Benefits for persons over 65 years of age will be provided under two plans, one described as “basic” and the other as “supplementary”. The coverage under the basic plan will be financed by increases in the Social Security payroll tax. For the person earning $6,600 or more in covered employment, the Medicare tax portion will amount to $23.10 annually in 1966, increasing gradually to $52.80 by 1987 and thereafter — for the employee, the employer and theh self-employed. The cost of benefits for about two million aged persons not covered by the present Social Security or Railroad Retirement Insurance programs will be met by appropriations from general tax revenues. Eligible Persons The basic plan automatically covers everyone who is 65 or older — with the exception of aliens with less than five years of residence in the United States, aliens without status as permanent residents and also Federal employees covered by the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Act. Note that persons already age 65 or older are covered, even if they are not under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Act. So are persons who will reach age 65 before 1968. However, in order for a person who will reach age 65 in 1968 or thereafter (and his spouse) to qualify, he must have at least three quarters of coverage, regardless of when he got them, for each calendar year and before the year in which he reaches age 65. (A “quarter of coverage” is a calendar quarter during which a person earned at least $50 in wages or $100 in self- employment covered by Social Security.) Hospital Benefits The basic plan covers hospitalization in an approved hospital for up to 90 days for each spell of illness. The patient pays the first $40 of hospital costs. If he stays more than 60 days, he pays $10 for each
