Why You Should Beware When The Doctor Wants To Hold You For "Observation" .A deductible is the amount of money you must pay before your coverage starts. Many Medicare supplements (Medigap policies), Medicare Advantage plans, and drug plans cover Medicare's deductible as part of the coverage you purchase. Medigap polices "B" through "J" pay the Part A dedictible, and Plans "C", "F" and "J" also cover the Part B deductible. Medicare Advantage Plans and prescription drug plans may or may not have a yearly deductible depending on the type of plan you choose. There are also federal and state government programs for low-income seniors that provide assistance for this cost. .Medicaid is the major source of coverage for an estimated 6 million seniors who need long-term care. Last year, long-term care services required one-third of the federal Medicaid budget, more than 0 billion. States, which share the program's cost, spent tens of billions to match that amount. .(Washington, DC) – New consumer price index data through August confirm that Medicare Part B premiums will spike next year due to an extremely low cost – of – living adjustment (COLA), according to a new estimate by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). "Low or no COLAs not only affect Social Security benefits, the amount of the annual boost also affects the amount of Medicare Part B premium people will pay in 2017," says Jessie Gibbons, TSCL's Senior Policy Analyst. "For nearly one out of three beneficiaries, Medicare Part B premiums could increase more than 22%," Gibbons says. .First, one new cosponsor – Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-8) – signed on to the CPI-E Act (H.R. 1251), bringing the total up to fifty-three. If adopted, H.R. 1251 would make the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) more adequate by basing it on the spending patterns of older Americans – not the spending patterns of young, urban workers. .Back in April, President Trump picked out a single computer model of coronavirus spread to use for guidance about the coronavirus. It turns out that that model initially had rosier estimates than others, and it projected many fewer Covid-19 deaths. .The good news is that both issues tend to be non-partisan. However, the bad news is that both cost a considerable amount of money, which means more federal spending. That's why the bills we support that would fix those issues have been tied up in committee for so long and have not been able to move through either the House or Senate. .Another bill that would improve the COLA – the Guaranteed 3 Percent COLA Act (H.R. 991) – also gained support this week. Congressman Gene Green (TX-29) signed on to it, bringing the cosponsor total up to five. If adopted, H.R. 991 from Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16) would base the COLA on the CPI-E and guarantee a minimum annual Social Security benefit increase of at least 3 percent. .This legislation would require the Federal Trade Commission to update its website to include a searchable database of scams targeting seniors. It would have to work with media outlets and law enforcement to distribute the information. The FTC also would be required to send Congress a report with policy recommendations to prevent scams targeting older individuals, especially during national emergencies.