by Peter Stern
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008 at 1:29 PM
pstern@austin.rr.com
Lifetime Penalties?
Many newspapers recognize the absurdity that seniors are being forced to pay penalties for late enrollment under the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan; however, there is another similar and even larger issue no one seems to acknowledge or address.
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Every year thousands of senior Americans are charged LIFETIME penalties for "late" enrollment into the Medicare system. Why? Because it's another special interest issue that charges seniors a lifetime penalty of 10 percent for EACH year after their eligibility date that they didn't sign up for their benefits.
So, if someone opts NOT or forgets to sign up during their eligibility year, but decides to do so --- say --- after four years, they are charged a total penalty of 40 percent EVERY year for the rest of their lives!
Does THAT make any sense?
These are people who have paid into the Medicare system their whole lives. Shouldn't it be their right to sign up at ANYTIME they wish? After all, it doesn't add additional taxpayer costs for them to do so, does it?
The LIFETIME Medicare "late" enrollment penalty TAX is another special interest manipulation of the Medicare system that must go the way of the Wooly Mammoth, and legislators need to get rid of it!
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