News

  • Changes Designed To Stop Surprise Billing Coming Next Year

    Can your husband do any other type of work? Even if your husband can't do the work he did in the past, the Social Security Administration will consider if there is other work he could do. . 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. .You don't need to be a doctor to understand that Medicare-for-all would mean access to quality health care for none. So, as presidential candidates continue their road trip to ruin for rural America, remember that the hollow promises of a trillion government-run proposal would disproportionately affect the families who work every single day to feed and clothe you and your families. … Continued

  • H R 1811 Protecting Preserving Social Security Act

    According to experts, the risk of catching the coronavirus on a plane is relatively low if the airline is following the procedures laid out by public health experts: enforcing mask compliance, spacing out available seats and screening for sick passengers. .Social Security uses the 35 years of highest earnings to calculate benefits, and Social Security statistics confirm women have lower benefits than men. The average Social Security primary insurance amount for women is 26% lower than that of men — ,297 for women vs. ,747 for men. Some proposals have suggested giving Social Security credits to unpaid caregivers to fill in the zeros in Social Security earnings records during years of family caregiving. This would tend to boost initial retirement benefits. .Terry Newell currently teaches leadership, decision - making, and ethics courses for a variety of organizations. He is the former dean of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was the director of the Horace Mann Learning Center, the training arm of the U.S. Department of Education. … Continued

"In the U.S. arm of the clinical trial, J&J's vaccine was 72% effective, which, in the absence of the mRNA data, ‘one would have said this was an absolutely spectacular result,' Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a separate White House briefing. What is more, the immunization was 85% effective at preventing severe disease and, in the trial, all hospitalizations and deaths occurred among people who got the placebo. None of the vaccinated people diagnosed with Covid-19 got sick enough to need hospital care. .Last October's debt deal contained surprise Social Security changes that will cost some Baby Boomer couples tens of thousands in anticipated Social Security income. While proponents say the changes were necessary to "close filing loopholes," TSCL feels the cuts included people who are too close to retirement. Worse, these changes were struck in a secret, closed-door "must pass" debt deal with no public debate. .Much of the debate over federal deficit reduction plans has been focused on overhauling Medicare and making changes to Social Security. But a major funding change is also under consideration for Medicaid, the federal and state program that covers medical care for lower-income individuals including seniors who also receive Medicare. As federal and state governments struggle to address Medicaid funding shortfalls, TSCL is concerned that Notch Babies, and the families who provide care for them, would be among those who would be hit the hardest by funding cuts. .We urge you to keep wearing a mask if you been doing so, and if you haven't, please start – for your own safety and the health and safety of those around you. .In 2017, the COLA was almost zero again, just 0.3%. The Medicare Part B premium rose to 4 for people not protected by hold harmless. Again the Part B premium of Barbara and the majority of Social Security recipients was adjusted. Barbara's monthly Medicare premium was adjusted to 8, taking every penny of her tiny COLA boost. .It turns out that PhRMA "spreads that money around to political campaigns across the country as well as other trade groups like the American Action Network (AAN), a conservative dark money group that launched a million ad campaign to defeat the Democrats' H.R. 3 proposal, which would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs and cap out-of-pocket drug costs at ,000," again, according to the Salon.com report. .We will be watching all of the candidates closely as we approach the November elections. Seniors are not being over-paid by Social Security and are not under-paying for Medicare. Getting Congress to pass a fair COLA that reflects the true cost of living for Seniors' remain one of our top priorities and we will keep you informed about what the candidates say about the Social Security and Medicare issue and details on their platforms are released. .As we suspected, Congress has now officially admitted they won't finish their work on time and once again will have to pass what amounts to emergency legislation to keep the government open. Actually, to say it was emergency legislation is probably not accurate because operating this way has become fairly normal now. .This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts to continue the fall congressional recess.