News

  • H R 4104 Savings On Medical Expenses For Seniors Act

    Computed tomography or CT scans are diagnostic tests that are covered by Medicare when medically necessary and ordered by your healthcare provider. Medicare most typically covers the tests under Part B when you are an outpatient, or the tests would be covered by Part A if you receive the CT scan as an inpatient during a hospital stay. .Cost-of-living increases are based on the nation's general rate of inflation, and the prices for the goods and services used to calculate inflation have barely budged. .At the time of writing this week's update, the House had not yet voted on the measure, but its passage is expected in that chamber by Friday. The committees of jurisdiction will then begin working on legislation to repeal the health care law. Through the budget reconciliation process, the Affordable Care Act is expected to be repealed by as early as February, and lawmakers hope to have a replacement plan signed into law soon after. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending September 14 2018

    Congress last year expanded this program in the healthcare reform act, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was signed into law in March 20The PPACA expanded "means testing" to Medicare Part D, and froze the income thresholds at which beneficiaries become subject to the "means test" at the 2010 levels through 201This year, depending on income, individuals who make more than ,000 and couples who make more than 0,000 will have to pay from .10 - 3.70 extra per month for their Part B premiums, and from .10 to .10 extra per month for their Part D premiums in 2011. .According to a report in Bloomberg Government News, "Centrist Democrats in the House are pushing to shrink their party's health-care wish list to focus more on low-income Americans, a move backed by industry groups including dentists who say a narrower focus is better policy. .Telephone scammers are bilking Medicare out of billions of dollars, and bombarding millions of older U.S. consumers with multiple daily automated phone calls for everything from "free" back braces to genetic tests. While Medicare scams have been with us for decades, what's new is the use of automated calling technology, and the massive international scale of the scams. … Continued

The Medicare portion of spending, officials say, grew 6.2 percent in 2011, after growing just 4.3 percent in 20A major factor holding down costs was the recession. As tens of thousands of working seniors lost jobs, and their healthcare coverage, other seniors were hit by the crash of retirement savings and real estate values. This was followed by two years without any cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2010 or 2011. .This week, one new cosponsor, Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8) signed on to the Public Servant Retirement Protection Act (H.R. 2797), bringing the cosponsor total up to eight. If signed into law, H.R. 2797 would repeal the windfall elimination provision (WEP) from the Social Security Act and establish a new formula for equalizing benefits for those with non-covered earnings. TSCL is very supportive of the Public Servant Retirement Protection Act since it would go a long way in granting dedicated public servants the retirement security they deserve. We were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on this week, and we hope that support continues to grow in the coming months. .Your cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) "overpays" you. Yes, that is an outrageous statement — especially since you haven't gotten a COLA boost for two years. Nevertheless, calling it "The Moment of Truth Project," that's what the President's Fiscal Commission is saying in making the case for the government to switch to a more slowly- growing "chained" Consumer Price Index (CPI). .The Social Security Administration (SSA) website provides free calculators which are somewhat useful to estimate retirement benefits, but they don't provide guidance on when to claim your benefit. These calculators require you to input information, and you will receive rough estimates. A much more useful estimate with less work can be obtained when you set up your "my Social Security" account. You can receive benefit estimates based on your own earnings records that the SSA actually has on file for you. Still, these estimates lack the most recent earnings information, and don't give you a monthly estimate if you were to retire mid - year. .Sixty-five percent of people surveyed by The Senior Citizens League support lifting the thresholds that subject Social Security benefits to taxation. The Senior Citizens League is seeking input from the public on this issue. To participate in a survey about Social Security and Medicare, visit . .Report Says Drug Prices in U.S. Almost 3 Times Higher than Other Countries .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) – signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 973). The cosponsor total is now up to 13If signed into law, the bill would repeal two federal provisions that unfairly reduce or eliminate the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. TSCL enthusiastically supports the Social Security Fairness Act, and we were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on to it this week. .The agreement appears ambiguous on this issue, and TSCL has filed four Freedom of Information Act requests in order to obtain copies of estimates of the cost to Social Security. After receiving the first known copy of the agreement in December of 2006, which apparently had never been made public, even to Members of Congress, the battle to obtain key documents in federal court has continued for TSCL. According to the State Department, public disclosure of the withheld information would risk undermining U.S. efforts in important areas of U.S. foreign policy. TSCL rejects this and will ask the judge to look at documents to see if they have been properly withheld. Although current U.S. law forbids the payment of Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants, there are loopholes and exceptions. .As prices. Low COLA & 038; COVID-19 Costs Could Trigger A Medicare Premium Spike When the Social Security Administration announced that the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2016 would be zero, a stunning thing occurred. The Medicare Trustees projected that the monthly Part B premium would increase by an unprecedented .50 (52%) between 2015 and 2016— from 4.90 to 9.30 per month. What does this have to do with the. Retirement Benefits Could Be Subject To "Inaccurate CPI Information" TSCL is forecasting a 1.3% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 202Our forecast is based on the most recent consumer price data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (through August) and uses the same formula that the Social Security Administration uses to calculate the annual inflation boost.