Washington ? The monthly premium for the vast majority of the elderly and disabled participating in Medicare will hold steady at $96.40 next year. It’s the first time since 2000 that the charge for health coverage is not increasing.

Premiums usually go up to reflect higher costs and demand for care projected for the coming year. Such increases will most certainly occur in 2009, but they will be offset when calculating the premiums by an adequate reserve in the Medicare Part B trust fund. That reserve gained $9.3 billion earlier this year after officials discovered money was inadvertently being drawn from Medicare Part B to cover hospice benefits.

Health care costs have been rising much more quickly than overall inflation over the years. That trend indicates this year’s break for ben