The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 87

A Wednesday September 16 1987 The Miami Herald 3A Medicare increase is attacked i Pepper will seek i a freeze in rate BODY HOLD STRIPES REVEAL THE SENSUOUS FORM SURRENDERING TO THE POWER OF SHAPE A SHORT LOOK AT THE BEST HERE FROM TAPEMEASURE BV MARSHA DROGIN AND MICHAEL DAYAN COTTON SPANDEX PUCKER T-TOP IN BRIGHT BOLD STRIPES $40 AND 1 SLIM MINI SKIRT IN BLACK OR WHITE $34 (D 34 1) By JACQUELYN SWEARINGEN Stales News Service WASHINGTON Rep Claude Pepper vowed Tuesday to try to freeze the amount paid by Medicare beneficiaries if the Reagan administration goes ahead with a plan to increase monthly healthcare premiums The Miami Democrat joined a growing chorus of Democrats opposing a Department of Health and Human Services proposal to raise Medicare premiums by 385 percent the sharpest rise in the federal medical care 22-year history Calling the proposed premiums the 87-year-old congressman warned they go into effect I will introduce a resolution to freeze the HHS officials are evaluating a to raise the monthly premium from $1790 to $2480 a step that could increase the total cost for Medicare recipients almost $300 annually Although HHS Secretary Dr Otis Bowen has yet to sign eff on the rec-' ommendation the $690 monthly increase all will become the Reagan final policy according to Glenn Hack-barth deputy chief of the Federal -Health Care Financing Administration The increase would particularly hurt the elderly and disabled who hover near the poverty line according to Florida lawmakers and senior citizen advocates Democratic Sen Bob Graham said the potential increase emphasized the need for health care reform "that would provide greater emphasis on the prevention of medical problems and the promotion of independent and community-based For an elderly person who receives a $400 monthly Social Security check and whose income is already at or close to the federal poverty level a cost-of-living increase set for Jan 1 is expected to give Social Security recipients another $16 each month according to John Rother legislative director of the American Association of Retired Persons If the proposed rise in Medicare premiums also goes into effect Jan 1 that COLA increase would be reduced to a little more than $9 Rother added Virtually all Florida Medicare beneficiaries could be affected by the proposed increase with the exception of the very poor whose premiums are paid by Medicaid Under Florida law Medicaid picks up the premium for anyone whose annual income falls at or below $4032 77 percent of the poverty level On Oct 1 that coverage will be extended to Floridians whose income is at or less than 90 percent of the poverty level Dade mechanic wins a million in Illinois Lotto LOTTERY from I A told United Press International on Tuesday first I thought my friends were playing around when they read me the They said Dale Arvid-son public information officer for the Illinois lottery Nine he was on Cloud Arvidson said Tuesday night really hit until that first check arrives got so many damn millionaires here I know what to do with Velez lives with his wife Vilma in a tidy condominium complex in a unit valued for tax purposes at 1 $56500 according to Dade County property records There was no answer at his door Tuesday night He told UPI he is an inveterate lottery player buying tickets wherever he goes For 20 years the Illinois lottery will send' a monthly greeting to Velez The Internal Revenue Service will also send its own greeting taking 20 percent off the top of each check sent to Velez Depression fizzles into tropical wave SSIN i WS niZa rnmmm affifci 3 2 schvves: palm lSockport's new PROWALKER' 1- Walking is the safest most natural way to health and fitness The new ProWalker 7000 lor men and women will help you comfortably burn calories reduce stress improve cardiovascular efficiency slow down bone loss which often accompanies aging keep appetite down and metabolism up increase circulation and improve mental function Enjoy the walk of your life! white 5V2-9 10M $64 white 7V2-1112M $75 Men's and Women's ProWa'kers (D 419540) All stores This merchandise not ot Mayiair From Herald Staff and Wire Services A depression that had been only four miles per hour shy of becoming Tropical Storm Emily dissipated off Antigua Tuesday leaving only Tropical Storm Dennis in the Atlantic Ocean The 11th depression of the hurricane season lost its punch about 250 miles east of Antigua according to the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables remnants of the depression now form part of a tropical the center said At 10:30 pm EDT center was 1075 miles east of Antigua i i i vi vT-CCMi visa vastipcapp ami? ix? mcn vid frisa:.