Medicare premiums up, but not as much as expected

WASHINGTON — Good news for seniors: The gov­ern­ment says Medicare’s basic monthly pre­mium will rise less than expected next year, by $3.50 for most. It could be good, too, for Pres­i­dent Barack Obama and Democ­rats strug­gling for older Amer­i­cans’ votes in a close election.