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  • H R 2745 No Social Security For Illegal Immigrants Act

    The high cost of treatment is a frequently cited barrier by those who are not getting the dental care they need. Elizabeth H., a retiree living in Colorado told us "I do not have the ,000 I was told that I needed to get my teeth fixed. They need to either be pulled and a bridge put in, or root canaled. Being on a limited income, I do not see getting any of this done, and so it affects my health negatively. Without dental care, I'm not as healthy as I could be." .Last week President Biden's administration unveiled its plan to lower prescription drug prices that includes a number of aggressive proposals but that are basically the same proposals that Democrats have pushed for years, many of which Democrats in Congress are currently working on to include in upcoming legislation. The plan would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, a longstanding pledge from Biden, Democratic lawmakers, and every Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. It also would limit yearly price increases, allow the importation of drugs from Canada, and place a cap on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare beneficiaries .Advocates who help retirees enroll in these programs say that, even if your income is slightly above the eligibility limits, you might still qualify because certain types of income and assets may not be counted. … Continued

  • Medicare Premiums

    Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced earlier this year that he wants to overhaul entitlement spending. TSCL is concerned that, after the elections, Congress could address rising deficits by moving legislation that would cut Social Security benefits. .TREA Senior Citizens League Backs New Approach to Correcting the Notch .The main bill in the Senate regarding prescription drug prices is one that is authored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). After Trump issued his executive orders, Sen. Grassley said he plans to use the time until the executive orders go into effect to build support for his own prescription drug package which, as we said above, has stalled in the Senate. … Continued

The Health and Human Services Department finalized the policy through an interim final rule in November, meaning the agency skipped the comment period. Lowering drug costs for patients is the end goal of the policy, which the government argues justified the speedy implementation. .A number of the Commission's proposals would hit seniors particularly hard. Here are a few highlights: . Zero premiums are also likely to end very soon. If Congress should cut reimbursements to plans as has happened in the past, some plans may respond by no longer offering coverage at all. Should Paula enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and her plan ceases to offer coverage in the future, Paula could have problems finding something comparable that she could afford. .Two Provisions That Can Reduce Or Eliminate Social Security Benefits .The Senior Citizens League is pleased that key Social Security bills like the four mentioned above will be re-introduced early in the 116th Congress, and we look forward to building momentum for them on Capitol Hill in the months ahead. For progress updates or for more information on these important bills, visit our website at . .Two Key Bills Gain Cosponsors .Catastrophic coverage stage (if you spend a total of more than ,100 counting all your prescriptions): .15 .The loss of a job entitles each of you to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), but the rules and deadlines will differ for each of you. Because your husband is under the age of 65, he should check options for coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.Healthcare.Gov). Because of your husband's job loss, your income may be lower and he may qualify for an advance premium tax credit subsidy that would lower the cost of premiums. .Many seniors have been confused by Medicare Advantage plans, because they are aggressively marketed as offering Part D drug coverage, in addition to hospitalization and doctor's insurance. Some seniors have enrolled in the plans thinking they were getting drug coverage only to add to supplemental coverage they already had.