CMS reports that this is approximately 37 percent lower than the original estimate for 2009 of $44.12, which was made at the time the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 was enacted.  CMS also reports that the average expected premium for basic coverage in 2009 is about $3 higher than the actual average for 2008.  CMS attributes the $3 increase to general trends in drug costs, the phase out of a CMS demonstration project, and higher plan estimates for catastrophic coverage based on prior experience.

In addition to announcing the average premiums for 2009, CMS also announced: (i) the 2009 national average monthly bid; (ii) the base beneficiary premium; (iii) the regional low income subsidy premium amounts for 2009; and (iv) the 2009 Medicare Advantage regional preferred provider organization benchmarks.  That information can be found here.

    Medicare Set-Aside Allocation/Arrangement Recommendations
    Submissions to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
    Post-Settlement Administration
    Pharmacy Benefit Management