News

  • Weekly Update For Week Ending August 22 2020

    Town Hall Question: Many doctors are threatening to stop seeing Medicare patients if the sustainable growth rate formula is not repealed and replaced. What do you feel should be done about this? .Alexandria, VA (October 24, 2011) In January, for the first time in two years, Social Security recipients will get a sorely-needed cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Benefits will rise 3.6% in 2012, following a surge in inflation that occurred even while seniors had no annual increase to help meet rapidly rising prices. Stagnant COLAs may soon be a fact of life for beneficiaries - a change that would also lower lifetime Social Security benefits, especially for Baby Boomers, warns The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. .TSCL's all-volunteer Board of Trustees and legislative team look forward to working with both new and veteran lawmakers this year on the issues that matter the most to our members and supporters. We will work tirelessly throughout the 114th Congress to ensure that Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries receive the retirement security they have earned and deserve. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending March 6 2015

    Lawmakers from both the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts for the last week of the month-long August recess. They are expected to return to Washington on September 5th, where they will face many important challenges including lifting the debt ceiling and passing a spending bill to continue funding the government. .Indeed, the Social Security Administration does not "promise" a specific amount of benefits, but they do not promise to replace a specific percentage of pre-retirement earnings either. Both benefit amounts and "replacement rates" can change at any time if Congress and the Social Security Administration deem it necessary. Prior to the 1977 changes, the replacement rate was not a stable percentage. For people who retired under the 1972-73 flawed formula (those born 1913 through 1916), replacement rates grew from 39% to a high of 54%. The new benefit formula led to a lower, more stable replacement rate of about 43%, as well as lower benefits. .Co-pays and coinsurance: This refers to the portion of the cost of services that you pay out-of-pocket. Co-pays are a fixed amount that you will pay for each service. For example, in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be billed a co-pay of to see a primary care physician and to see a specialist. On the other hand, coinsurance is a variable amount. It is a percentage of the cost of the service. Theoretically if the total cost of the service is ,000 and you pay 20% coinsurance, your cost could be about 0. Under Medicare Advantage your health plan negotiates the cost of service, thus you would want to call your plan to get an idea what your total out-of-pocket costs would be, and whether your provider is a preferred provider. Under most Medigap policies, the Part B co-insurance cost is covered in large part, but there still could be some "excess charges" that you pay out of pocket. … Continued

The Senior Citizens League encourages older Americans to contact their Senators now to ask for their support in passing this legislation. To learn more, visit . .Ensure that rebates drug makers now pay to benefit managers and insurers get passed directly to patients when they buy a medication. The White House last year withdrew an earlier version of the proposal, after the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost taxpayers 7 billion over 10 years. .The revenues that would be collected based on the 12.4% Social Security tax (the total paid by employee with the employer match) was ,071,619, and averaged 3,581 per CEO. .Lawmakers remained in their home states and districts this week for the August recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, September 8th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will attend local events and hold town hall meetings, giving constituents an excellent opportunity to voice their concerns and have their most pressing questions answered. .All Americans will one day become seniors, and so it should be the priority of all members of Congress to make retirement planning easier and to defend and strengthen programs like Medicare and Social Security for future generations. .America's immigration policy may make a dramatic shift in the coming months. According to press reports, the new Congressional leadership may push for an immigration plan that grants amnesty to illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., and America's senior citizens are paying close attention. .Sources: "Miami Actor, Cable Station Founder, Arrested In Medicare Fraud Takedown," Jay Weaver, The Miami Herald, May 14, 2013. .Lawmakers Adjourn for Recess . Check to see if Eliquis is covered by your drug plan and the cost sharing for the tier in which it is listed. Many drug plans have five tiers covering preferred generics, generics, preferred brands, non-preferred brands and specialty drugs. Check to see where Eliquis fits in on these tiers (probably preferred or non-preferred brand). It's not uncommon for insurers to move a drug from preferred brand to non-preferred brand status, causing you to pay more out-of-pocket. For example, your plan in 2019 may have charged a co-pay of for preferred brands, but if Eliquis was moved into a non-preferred tier in 2020 you might have to pay 50% co-insurance or about 5.00.