News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending December 16 2016

    This sounds similar to the current Medicare Advantage system except for one big difference — the Health and Human Services secretary would be given authority to set beneficiary cost-sharing "based on evidence of the value of services." Under this criterion, who do you think would be more likely to get the best coverage for expensive services like CT scans that can cost ,000 — an 84-year-old, or a 43-year-old mother with two children? Finally, the recommendation would require insurers to pay a surcharge on the Medigap policies that they offer to beneficiaries. This proposal is not new. .As TSCL supporters well know, Congress has not been able to accomplish significant legislative reform to the convoluted drug pricing system even though anger about high drug prices has been rising for a long time. .But here's the real kicker. A statute of limitation loophole is hamstringing Medicare from recovering overpayments. Federal law allows a Medicare claims contractor to reopen a payment determination for "good cause" at any time within 4 years of the date the original payment determination was made. But another provision of law bars the recovery of overpayments from providers that are "without fault." And the law states that a provider is deemed to be without fault 3 years after the year in which the original payment was made unless there is "evidence to the contrary." … Continued

  • Why Isnt There Any Cola Next Year When Medicare Costs Are Spiking

    According to the committee report, a (now retired) Social Security judge, David B. Daugherty, schemed with a disability attorney Eric C. Conn, improperly awarding benefits to "virtually all" of Conn's 1,823 clients. The decisions were based on recommendations by an unusually loyal group of doctors who "often examined Conn's clients right in his law offices" according to a CBS News "60 Minutes" program. .TSCL strongly supports adequate administrative budgets for SSA, and we hope that Congress will act with the best interest of seniors in mind when making funding decisions in the weeks ahead. We will follow the appropriations process closely in the coming weeks, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. .The last thing we need to happen to our healthcare system is to limit access to quality care. Already, 1-in-3 physicians are limiting the number of Medicare patients they see, and 1-in-8 physicians are refusing Medicare patients all together. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act created the Independent Payment Advisory Board to control Medicare cost. This would place 15 bureaucrats, appointed by the president, in a position to control the future of Medicare and is another example of the Federal Government forcing themselves into your health care decisions. … Continued

"The president's plan to import policies from socialized health care systems abroad is disrupting our work [on Covid-19 therapies] and diverting our focus away from those life-saving efforts," the spokesperson said. "We remain willing to discuss ways to lower costs for patients at the pharmacy counter. However, we remain steadfastly opposed to policies that would allow foreign governments to set prices for medicines in the United States." .Which is right for you? Medigap policies tend to have have higher premiums, but pay most of your out-of-pocket costs, so your costs stay more consistent and predictable. You are also free to use any healthcare provider that accepts Medicare. If you choose Medigap you will also need to enroll in a separate Part D prescription drug plan. Medicare Advantage plans tend to have lower premiums and include drug coverage, but you will have deductibles, as well as co-pays and cost sharing for most services. Hospitalizations could be costly. Many Medicare Advantage plans are managed care and require that you use participating providers to receive reimbursement for your care. .This week, lawmakers released the text of legislation that will comprehensively reform the tax code if adopted, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) delivered letters to Capitol Hill outlining three tax-related changes that would strengthen the Social Security program. In addition, TSCL endorsed two new bills that would reduce prescription drug costs, and several key bills gained support. .The U.S. depends on China for thousands of chemicals needed to make prescription drugs. That's because it turns out that pharmaceutical companies have outsourced our generic medicine manufacturing to China. .(Washington, DC) – About 56 percent of all Social Security households pay taxes on a portion of their Social Security benefits, according to a national survey by The Senior Citizens League. "Recently enacted changes in the tax law will increase both the numbers of taxpayers whose Social Security benefits are taxable and the portion of Social Security income that people will pay in taxes," says The Senior Citizens League's Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson. .High Cost of Illegal Work for Social Security Trust Fund .Case 2— A man born in Mexico worked under his father's SSN for 9 years and then had these wages transferred when he acquired his own SSN before collecting retirement benefits. From 1999 to 2002 he collected approximately ,441 in retirement benefits, including benefits for dependents based on his account. Estimated benefits over 20 years — ,300. .Part B premiums are only part of what Medicare recipients pay. People also have premiums for a Medigap supplement and Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan and those premiums are rising as well. Hold harmless protection does not apply to premium increases in these private plans, and any increase would leave retirees . A divorced spouse can receive Social Security benefits on the account of an ex-wife (or husband) just the same as a surviving widower or widow. To qualify, your marriage must have lasted 10 years or more, and you did not remarry prior to age 60. You can receive a widower's benefit while you delay claiming your own retirement benefit to allow it to grow until age 70. You may claim your own retirement benefit, anytime it is higher than what you receive in survivors benefits up to age 70.