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  • Category Issues Medicare Part B Page 4

    (Washington, DC) – Sixty - five percent of retirees participating in a new survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) report that their monthly household expenses in 2020 rose by more than . That includes 40 percent of survey participants who reported that their monthly household expenses are up by 0 or more. Yet the same survey also found that 63 percent of participants indicated that their 2021 COLA, which was 1.3 percent, raised their net monthly Social Security benefit by less than after the deduction for the Part B premium. .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)). .Again, according to Bloomberg News, "Manufacturers have to offer Medicaid plans their lowest possible price under federal regulations in order to participate in other federal drug programs, which is likely why the Medicaid prices are so low." … Continued

  • Category Issues Medicare Part B Page 2

    It's widely anticipated that benefits will be cut, perhaps significantly, for retirees at some point in the relatively near future, and that significantly higher taxes will be needed. In addition, this inconsistency between Social Security and immigration law suggests that newly work-authorized immigrants may benefit in the future, at least to some extent, at the expense of native-born U.S. workers and retirees who paid into the system legally over their entire working careers. .Sources: "Policy Brief: The Evolution of Social Security's Taxable Maximum," Social Security Administration, September 2011, No.2011-02. .Can your husband do the work he did previously? If he can, your husband would not qualify. … Continued

If signed into law, H.R. 711 would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) – a provision of the Social Security Act that unfairly reduces the earned benefits of millions of public employees by as much as one-half each year. H.R. 711 would establish a new formula for the non-covered earnings of teachers, police officers, and other public servants, and it would modify the WEP for current retirees who are affected by it. .More than one quarter of respondents spent from 0 to 9 a month on their healthcare during the first six months in 201That ranges from 27% to as much as 54% of the average monthly Social Security payment, which is hovering at ,100 this year. The majority of respondents, 45%, reported that they received a monthly Social Security benefit that falls within the range of 1 to ,335 after deduction for the Medicare Part B premium. .Foster testified before our committee that changes included in the health care law will cut funding for hospitals, skilled nursing homes, diagnostic labs and many other services by more than half the levels under prior law. In addition, future Medicare payments will be considerably below the current relative level. These rates would cause a significant number of providers to leave the market. .Background Information: Social Security beneficiaries received another record-low cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of just 0.3% this year. But if the COLA were based on a more accurate measure of inflation for seniors like the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), they would be receiving an increase of 2.1% according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Question: Do you support legislation that would give older Americans a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA? .Downsizing doctor networks is one way that Medicare Advantage insurers are dealing with the sizable cuts. Some insurers have also begun to increase premiums and out-of-pocket costs that enrollees pay. Austin Pittman, President of UnitedHealth, told the Wall Street Journal: "It's no secret that we are under substantial funding pressure from the federal government … That's what's driving our actions." .To learn more about President Obama's Executive Action On Immigration, see TSCL's F.A.Q.: "What Does "Executive Action" On Immigration Have To Do With Social Security and Medicare?" .This week, President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address, and talks to repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for doctors who treat Medicare patients seemed to have stalled. .Even if your income will be slightly higher in 2018 you should apply, because the income and resource limits are adjusted annually and will likely be somewhat higher next year. "Resources " refer to money in checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Don't rule out applying just because you own your own home. Your home, car, household items, burial plot up to ,500 for burial expenses per person, and life insurance policies ARE NOT counted as resources. .Marvin Moser, MD author of "The Patient As A Consumer" Yale University School of Medicine Heart Book, provides these eight questions to ask: