News

  • S 2023 Prescription Drug Affordability Act

    On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing to discuss improvements to the Medicare payment system. Currently, reimbursements are determined by the SGR, a flawed formula that regularly calls for steep pay cuts to physicians and threatens seniors' access to medical care. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed a strong interest in repealing and replacing the formula in the coming months. .Medicare Has a Tele-Scam Problem 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. Medicare Advantage Insurers Overcharged Medicare By Nearly Billion Medicare Advantage plans have overcharged Medicare by almost billion in recent years, but so far officials have only recovered a small fraction of that money. The federal government has announced it is stepping up efforts to recover those funds and TSCL is closely watching to see that it does. .It's also important to note that airplanes' high-powered filtration systems aren't sufficient on their own to prevent outbreaks. If an airline isn't keeping middle seats open or vigilantly enforcing mask use, flying can actually be rather dangerous. Currently, the domestic airlines keeping middle seats open include Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest and JetBlue. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending October 6 2017

    (Washington, DC) – Although there won't be any Social Security cost – of - living adjustment (COLA) next year, many of the nation's biggest drug and health plans are sharply increasing costs, warns The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). "Outrage is growing among older voters who question how COLAs can be zero, when their healthcare costs are taking the biggest jump in seven years," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. .The "Doc Fix" .TSCL's Endorsement Sought for Social Security Bill … Continued

This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for three key bills. .Alexandria, VA (October 24, 2011) In January, for the first time in two years, Social Security recipients will get a sorely-needed cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Benefits will rise 3.6% in 2012, following a surge in inflation that occurred even while seniors had no annual increase to help meet rapidly rising prices. Stagnant COLAs may soon be a fact of life for beneficiaries - a change that would also lower lifetime Social Security benefits, especially for Baby Boomers, warns The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. .Deductibles: This is the amount you pay out – of – pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. Most people get CT scans as outpatients under Medicare Part B, which has a deductible of 3 in 2021, meaning you might be responsible for that amount. If your scan is part of a hospital stay as an inpatient, it would bill under Part A which has a deductible of ,48Because you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, your deductible amounts can vary from the standard Medicare amount. It's a good idea to call your health plan before getting any services, to get an idea about the cost. For people covered by a Medigap supplement, it will cover the Part A deductibles but, as of January 2020, insurers are no longer allowed to sell plans that cover the Part B deductible, Plans C and Plan F to new enrollees. .This week, The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL) Board of Trustees and legislative team held meetings with several Members of Congress and their top staff. In addition, the Board of Trustees presented one Member of Congress – Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC-7) – with the 2012 Seniors Advocate Award. TSCL also saw support grow for a critical piece of legislation this week. .He announced that he would meet with the drug companies to discuss his plan, but top company executives subsequently refused to meet with him. The drug companies did develop their own proposal but it was rejected by the President. .Sadly, Washington is feeding Americans misinformation about Medicare and how we are trying to save the program. No one in Washington wants to see our seniors suffer. But the truth is undeniable: If we don't address this now, together, Medicare really will end. If anyone else tells you differently they are not facing reality. We must take steps — even small steps — to address this. That's what this Resolution does: it forces us to consider two steps toward common ground. ."We believe this unannounced policy of increased enforcement is irresponsible," said Representative Gil Gutknecht (MN) in a letter to the FDA and Customs. Gutknecht also said that the seizures violate the will of Congress, which has for three years denied FDA funding for the purpose of preventing reimportation of prescription drugs for personal use. .Currently, the two vaccines available are produced by Moderna and Pfizer. However, a vaccine from Johnson and Johnson could become available within the next few days. And there could be one or two more available in a few more weeks. .Before the Affordable Care Act, seniors could deduct out-of-pocket medical costs that exceeded 7.5 percent of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Starting in 2017, however, the law increases this threshold to 10% of a person's AGI – effectively lowering how much can be deducted at the end of the year and increasing how much seniors will pay in taxes.