Support Grows for Key Bill .This week, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 1795), bringing the total up to one hundred and thirteen. The new cosponsors are: Reps. Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Brett Guthrie (KY-2), and Katherine Clark (MA-5). If signed into law, the Social Security Fairness Act would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) – two federal provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, fire fighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. .Members of Congress adjourned for the holiday recess this week, with the Senate returning on Thursday to resume Fiscal Cliff negotiations. .Even though I'm not on Medicare yet, these new quality initiatives will, one way or another will affect most patients, even those like me who are still under the age of 65 as doctors reorganize. I felt dumped. .Last year Americans were told that one of the ways to prevent being infected with Covid-19 is to wash hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds, and if that was not possible, use hand sanitizer. That resulted in a run on hand sanitizers and for awhile they were difficult to find. .A surviving beneficiary spouse is one who collects Social Security benefits not from their own account, but from the account of his or her deceased spouse. To find out more about Notch Reform benefits for surviving beneficiaries, click here: What Happens to Benefit Payments When Your Spouse is Deceased? .Even though Medicare recipients getting these services may stay in the hospital overnight or longer, getting the same nursing care, lab tests and drugs as they would if inpatients, their bill will be calculated very differently. Patients admitted for in-patient stays usually are responsible for the Medicare hospital deductible of ,484 for a stay of up to 60 days. They may also pay 20% of doctor charges. Many people have Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans that cover much or even all of this expense. Outpatient services, on the other hand, are charged differently, with the patient paying 20% of the Medicare approved amount for each service. In addition, the new billing changes would hit patients with "facility fees" that can run up to several thousand dollars to cover hospital overhead charges. And since, prescription drug plans don't cover medication for hospital patients, beneficiaries would be charged 100% of the full retail cost of drugs they need, even those they normally routinely take at home. .Congressional leaders have already given up on the idea of fully funding the government for the entire 2022 fiscal year and instead the current plan is to pass a "continuing resolution" (CR) that will fund the government at current levels until December The idea is to give them more time to craft the legislation needed to fully fund the new fiscal year. .According to a Social Security Administration Issue Paper, when Congress first enacted the tax on Social Security in 1983, it was estimated to affect only 10 percent of Social Security recipients. But the income thresholds have never been adjusted for inflation in more than three decades. "Today, the taxation of benefits hits almost everyone with any income in addition to Social Security benefits —even people with the most modest of bottom lines," Johnson says. "An older couple with ,000 is living at just 155% of the federal poverty level," Johnson points out. Had the income thresholds been adjusted for inflation since 1983, the ,000 threshold would be ,940 and the ,000 threshold would be ,284 according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.