News
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I Turn 65 This Year How Much Will I Need For Medicare Feed
By Representative Tim Walberg (MI-7) .TSCL would like to thank the following for taking time out of their busy schedules to discuss the issues that matter most to our members and supporters: Rep. Paul Cook (CA-8), Rep. John Lewis (GA-5), Justin Lawson (Legislative Assistant for Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35)), Claire Cozad (Legislative Assistant for Rep. Paul Cook (CA-8)), Kalina Bakalov (Legislative Assistant for Rep. Tammy Duckworth (IL-8)), and Thomas Dorney (Legislative Assistant for Rep. John Lewis (GA-5)). .The Social Security Expansion Act (S. 731), introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). Like the 2100 Act, this bill would adopt the CPI-E and create a new minimum benefit to keep retirees out of poverty. It would also provide the average beneficiary with a per month benefit increase – an amount that TSCL believes is fair and necessary. In last month's issue of TSCL's Advisor, Sen. Sanders wrote: "Poll after poll has shown the American public supports expanding Social Security. Its time Congress listens to the American people … not the Wall Street millionaires who want to cut it." … Continued
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Health Care System Weaknesses Magnified During Pandemic
Now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has told hospitals they can't hide their prices from web searches. .We encourage you to tell incumbent Members of Congress who are running for re-election what you expect from the lawmakers who represent you. Outline the changes you support for Social Security and ask the candidates if they are willing to end the tax breaks for the wealthy so that all working Americans can enjoy a more secure retirement. .Yet here we are today facing another failure to pass legislation on time, which has happened year after year under McConnell. … Continued
Shop around for heartworm and flea preventatives: Heartworms can kill your dog or cat, while fleas and ticks carry dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to humans. While vets often have discount coupons associated with these products, if you want to save more money, it's important to compare prices, especially at pet supply websites such as 1-800- PetMeds, and Chewy.com. Those companies often have much lower prices, especially after discounts are thrown in. .In order to correct the wrong done to those born during the Notch years, TSCL believes that some compensation should be provided. The Notch Fairness Act would provide victims of the Social Security Notch with a modest settlement payment or an increased monthly benefit calculation. .Medicare has three Parts: A (hospital), B (doctors and hospital outpatient) and D (prescription drugs). Each has a deductible and each increases every year. In 2007 the Medicare deductibles (annually) are: .Today's working women, even those who worked in the same positions as men, tend to earn less during their working careers. The Economic Policy Institute reports that to every dollar a man makes, women of Asian descent earn 88 cents, Caucasian women make 81 cents, African American women make 65 cents, and Hispanic women make 59 cents. This only worsens the low lifetime earnings problem. .If you are interested in helping TSCL make the most of the 113th Congress, give us a call at 800-333-TSCL to help us start a local chapter or plan a town hall meeting in your area. .Policy experts question how patients will make up postponed care (some services can't be made up) and the degree to which delays in getting care will have adverse health consequences. Both of these concerns suggest that another type of surge for hospitals—the aftermath of postponed care — may be coming next. Cutting hospital reimbursements now could potentially limit access to care when Medicare beneficiaries need it the most. .Medicare health plans also have new rules about co-pays and co-insurance. Copayments can vary drastically between MA plans, but through 2018, individual plans were required to offer all enrollees in the plan's service area access to the same benefits at the same level of cost - sharing. In 2019, MA plans have the option of imposing tiers for the cost - sharing of contracted providers, as an incentive to encourage enrollees to seek care from specific providers. Plans that utilize tiered cost-sharing must disclose tiered co-pays and co-insurance amounts to enrollees and providers, ensure that services at each tier of cost-sharing are available to all enrollees, and ensure that all enrollees are charged the same amount for the same service from the same provider. .Fraud, waste and abuse are costing taxpayers and seniors an estimated billion a year, but Medicare fails to recover overpayments about 80 percent of the time. The Inspector General recently said that of the 6,287,546 in overpayments identified through the 30-month period ending March 31, 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported collecting only ,168,50But it gets even worse. The OIG said that it could not verify that the ,168,502 had been collected as reported because CMS did not have an adequate system for documenting overpayment collections. .Since you are still working and still under your full retirement age, you might consider reporting your estimated income to Social Security for 2019, and possibly for the months prior to turning your full retirement age next year. However, that would mean that your Social Security benefits would be withheld for even more months, and you might not receive any Social Security benefits at all in 201At the end of the year, you would have to notify Social Security of what you actually earned for 2019, and the calculation would be revised. If too much was withheld, you would get a refund. If not enough was withheld, you would have to pay the difference. Once you turn your full retirement age then, you will be able to earn as much as you want, and not be subject to Social Security earnings restriction rules for new earnings after turning age 66.
