Remember, increases are the combination of surpluses plus annual interest against the previous year's balance.
In 1995, Medicare withdrew $7 billion by cashing in some of its bogus bonds. Taxpayers paid a second time what workers had paid previously through their payroll taxes. We paid $2 billion more in 1997. All double taxation, plus interest.

Politicians hate it when this happens. Not because they feel sorry that taxpayers must come up with the cash, but because it disrupts their pet projects, the bacon they're trying to take home to constituents. Years ahead of time, they've been scheming over their budget, fighting over the goodies each congress critter wants to add to his election record. "Off budget" entitlement money is part of every budget. They plan to use it and they don't like surprises. A shortfall in payroll tax receipts is enough to throw them into panic.

Even though it was later found that unscrupulous doctors had been double billing medicare for some $23 billion, politicians have continued to claim that Medicare is in "big trouble" and must be saved. It's much like the Social Security issue.
MEDICARE'S RUNNING TAB
FISCAL 2008
(in billions)
RECEIPT-OUTLAY
TABLES
Month
Fed.Hosp.Ins.
Supp.Med.
Total
% of debt
Open
$319.4
$39.2
$335.3
3.6
10/2007
$153.7
$181.8
$317.3
3.5
11/2007
$313.9
$36.3
$350.2
3.9
12/2007
$326.1
$42.7
$368.8
4.0
1/2008
$328.0
$43.4
$371.4
4.0
MEDICARE'S RUNNING TAB
FISCAL 2007
(in billions)
Month
Fed.Hosp.Ins.
Supp.Med.
Total
% of debt
Open
-
-
$335.3
3.9
10/2006
$299.6
$31.2
$330.8
3.8
11/2006
$297.0
$32.1
$331.7
3.8
12/2006
$305.4
$33.1
$338.5
3.9
1/2007
$309.0
$34.4
$343.4
3.9
2/2007
$306.7
$35.2
$341.9
3.9
3/2007
$302.1
$34.5
$336.6
3.9
4/2007
$314.3
$37.7
$352.0
4.0
5/2007
$311.8
$37.3
$349.1
4.4
6/2007
$318.5
$34.8
$353.3
4.0
7/2007
$319.9
$39.3
$359.2
4.0
8/2007
$312.3
$46.8
$359.1
3.9
9/2007
$319.4
$39.2
$358.6
3.6
MEDICARE'S RUNNING TAB
FISCAL 2006
(in billions)
UP $40.8 billion
Month
Fed.Hosp.Ins.
Supp.Med.
Total
% of debt
Open
-
-
$294.5
3.7
10/2005
$278.4
$19.4
$297.8
3.5
11/2005
$278.4
$18.6
$297.0
3.5
12/2005
$285.9
$23.9
$309.8
3.7
1/2006
$288.9
$25.3
$314.2
3.8
2/2006
$287.8
$27.2
$315.0
3.8
3/2006
$283.3
$25.9
$309.1
3.7
4/2006
$295.2
$29.1
$324.3
3.9
5/2006
$292.9
$31.1
$324.0
3.9
6/2006
$299.4
$27.2
$326.6
3.9
7/2006
$300.8
$31.1
$331.9
3.9
8/2006
$297.0
$30.9
$327.9
3.9
9/2006
$302.2
$33.1
$335.3
3.9
MEDICARE'S RUNNING TAB
FISCAL 2005
(in billions)
UP $13.7 billion
Month
Fed.Hosp.Ins.
Supp.Med.
Total
%of debt
Open
-
-
$281.8
3.8
10/2004
$263.7
$16.6
$280.3
3.7
11/2004
$263.5
$22.3
$285.8
3.7
12/2004
$270.4
$20.3
 $290.7
3.8
1/2005
$273.9
$20.3
$294.2
3.8
2/2005
$272.0
$23.2
$295.2
3.8
3/2005
$272.0
$24.1
$296.1
3.8
4/2005
$268.6
$22.8
$291.4
3.8
5/2005
$272.6
$25.2
$297.8
3.8
6/2005
$282.1
$24.8
$306.9
3.9
7/2005
$279.9
$25.8
$305.7
3.9
8/2005
$277.5
$24.7
$302.2
3.8
9/2005
$277.3
$17.2
$294.5
3.7
Fiscal 2004
Up $5.7 billion
(in billions)
Month
Fed.Hosp.Ins.
Supp.Med.
Total
%of debt
Open
$251.3
$24.8
 $276.1
4.1
10/2003
$247.8
$21.9
 $269.7
3.9
11/2003
$251.9
$23.1
 $274.0
3.9
12/2003
$256.7
$23.7
 $280.4
4.0
1/2004
$259.2
$24.9
$284.1
4.0
2/2004
$259.7
$26.8
$286.5
4.0
3/2004
$255.2
$26.4
 $281.6
3.9
4/2004
$260.0
$24.3
$284.3
3.9
5/2004
$260.2
$26.3
$286.5
3.9
6/2004
$267.3
$26.0
$293.3
4.0
7/2004
$263.3
$23.6
$286.9
3.9
8/2004
$263.0
$24.1
$287.1
3.9
9/2004
$264.4
$17.4
$281.8
3.8
Fiscal 2003
UP $8.4 billion
Month
 Fed.Hosp.Ins. Supp.Med.
Total
% of debt
Open
$228.9
$38.8
 $267.7
4.3
10/2002
$227.3
$39.9
$267.2
4.3
11/2002
$226.8
$34.7
$261.5
4.1
12/2002
$235.3
$34.1
$269.4
4.2
1/2003
$237.7
$33.8
 $271.5
4.2
2/2003
$238.7
$33.4
 $272.1
4.2
3/2003
$238.9
$33.1
 $272.0
4.2
4/2003
$244.9
$32.5
$277.4
4.3
5/2003
$241.8
$30.1
 $271.6
4.1
6/2003
$252.5
$31.5
 $284.0
4.3
7/2003
$250.9
$30.5
 $281.5
4.2
8/2003
$248.7
$27.6
 $276.3
4.1
9/2003
$251.3
$24.8
 $276.1
4.1
Fiscal 2002
up $28.6 billion