News

  • Weekly Update For Week Ending July 24 2020

    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. .Because of the strong push on the part of the President and members of Congress to find a way to lower drug prices, and getting drugs from other countries where the cost is lower has become popular as a solution, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a proposal to let states submit drug importation plans for federal approval. .If signed into law, the Medicare Advantage Participant Bill of Rights Act would prevent Medicare Advantage plans from dropping physicians from their networks during the middle of the year, and it would require them to finalize their networks sixty days prior to the start of the open enrollment period. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending May 27 2016

    This week, a House committee held a high-profile hearing on recent developments in the prescription drug market, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for one key bill. .Meanwhile, some of the highest-priced drugs in the United States are brand-name drugs that can cost thousands of dollars per dose and are used to treat life-threatening illness such as hepatitis C or cancer, the researchers said. .Social Security Subcommittee Discusses Program's Future … Continued

However, according to a 2015 report, older Americans lose approximately .5 billion each year to financial scams and abuse, and these numbers are increasing as technology makes it easier for scammers to target older Americans. A 2016 survey from the Investor Protection Trust found that almost 1-in-5 seniors, approximately 7 million Americans, have reported being victims of exploitation. .On behalf of The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL's) one million members nation-wide – 4,803 of whom are your constituents – I urge you and your colleagues in Congress to reject the elimination of the medical expense deduction. . My husband who is diabetic and has high blood pressure, underwent surgery for colon cancer in March of 2020. He recovered and returned to work last summer. Shortly thereafter he had a stroke. He's been unable to work and received short. Q & 038; August 2020 My Ex-Spouse Died. Would I Qualify For Widow's Benefits Even Though I'm Re-married? .This tax hike will disproportionally hit America's oldest and most vulnerable populations. Seniors make up more than half of those claiming the medical expense deduction. .Many seniors are struggling with their vastly diminished retirement accounts following the stock market crash. Additionally, the inventory of unsold houses has now reached record highs and the forecasts for retirees who need to get their cash out of real estate are gloomy indeed. .Surprise! A new Part D plan drug pricing program may lower costs for those who seek out the savings. Recent Congressional scrutiny on drug pricing may be spurring some drug plans to drop prices on certain drugs. A new drug plan pricing program offered by Cigna, for example, lowers the cost of insulin. In 2018, the lowest cost Part D plan charged an copay for a 100/ML of Lantus Solostar. In 2019, the lowest cost plan in my area charges copays as low as .00 - .00 for Lantus Solostar in the Cigna-HealthSpring Rx Secure — Extra Part D plan. The highest cost plan, which does not cover Lantus, charges the full price, 3.18 per 100/ML. Which would you rather have? .This program provides benefits, based on earnings and work history, to workers with disabilities who are under full retirement age. Between 1990 and 2013, enrollment increased 112.5%. Of people receiving Social Security benefits, the number of disabled individuals has grown from 3.2 to 6.7 beneficiaries per 100 covered workers, according to the Congressional Research Service. .If you're like most seniors, you probably depend on Social Security for at least half of your income. But how well does the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) protect you from rising costs? TSCL will soon release some answers to this question with the results of its 7th Annual Survey of Senior Costs. In recent years these surveys have indicated that Social Security beneficiaries lose a considerable portion of their buying power — as much as 31 percent — in as little as the first decade of retirement. .The deal will likely move to the House and Senate for a vote before the Presidents Day recess begins.