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Show Medicare makes changes change since the Medicare program began in 1966. As a result, future deductibles will bear a more accurate relationship to the actual costs of care. This provision is effective starting with 1982. Changes in medical insurance include The medical insurance in-surance annual deduc tible will be raised to $75, from $60, starting in 1982. Under the old law, any medical expenses incurred during the last three months of a year which counted toward that year's medical insurance in-surance annual deductible deduc-tible also counted toward the following year's deductible the "carryover "carry-over rule." This carryover rule has been eliminated. Starting with 1982, the annual deductible deduc-tible will have to be met each year without regard to the previous year's expenses. General enrollment period: under the law in effect before 1981, a person who did not sign up for medical insurance in-surance at his or her first opportunity, could enroll only during a general Several important changes have been made in Medicare health insurance in-surance protection by a recently enacted law, Warren Spencer, Social Security Respresentative in Cedar City, said recently. Changes were made in both parts of Medicare hospital insurance, insu-rance, which helps pay for inpatient hospital care and certain kinds of post-hospital care, and medical insurance, which helps pay for physicians' services and other medical services and supplies not covered by hospital insurance. Changes made in hospital insurance include in-clude Per-day amounts paid by patients will be based on the hospital insurance deductible in effect during the calendar year the services ser-vices are received, rather than the year the benefit period began. This provision is effective for hospital services and extended care services received in 1982 and later. The law raises the base amount used to determine the hospital insurance deductible from $40 to $45. the first enrollment period, the first three months of each year. Since March 1981, a person could enroll at any time. The new law returns to the way things were before 1981; there will be a general enrollment period the first three months of each year. More information about these changes and changes made in Social Security cash benefits can be obtained at the Cedar City Social Security Office, P.O. Box 769. The telephone number is 586-6537. - -. |