21.   Clinton, commenting on the status of balanced budget negotiations, said he would be disappointed if premiums for upper-income beneficiaries were not increased.

22.   Democrats counter that most of the savings would come from reducing what Medicare pays doctors and hospitals, and increasing the premiums and deductibles recipients pay.

23.   DiMarzio said he understands Blue Cross has no choice but to increase premiums.

24.   For many hospitals, insurers are not only increasing premiums, but are also sharply reducing the amounts of coverage and raising deductibles.

25.   For health care, which Ross monitors closely, he predicts health maintenance organizations will increase premiums and clamp down even tighter on payments.

26.   Higher premiums will cause healthy people to drop coverage, and that will increase premiums for those who are left.

27.   In addition, HUD has proposed increasing the premiums on mortgage insurance that developers rely on to build moderately priced units under the Federal Housing Administration program.

28.   In his White House comments today, Clinton repeated his charge that Republicans want to increase premiums for Medicare recipients in order to pay for a tax cut.

29.   Intense competition prevents companies from increasing the premiums they charge customers.

30.   Insurance premiums are increased for companies with shortfalls.