News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending September 30 2016

    The Part D initial coverage limit is ,960 this year. "That includes what both the beneficiary and the drug plan must pay, " explains TSCL's Chairman Ed Cates. Once in the doughnut hole, beneficiaries are on the hook for 65% of the cost of generic drugs, or 45% of the cost of brand name drugs. Medicare beneficiaries must spend a total of ,700 out of pocket in drug costs for the year, before catastrophic coverage kicks in. "Even then there's still some additional smaller co-insurance payments," Cates adds. .If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated. .Repurpose "heirlooms in time." If you have boxes of "almost antiques" hidden away in antiques or basements pick out a few to repurpose for a second time around. Restring those old broken beads, cut apart shrunken felted sweaters and sew into new tote bags for the market. Drill holes in into old loose-leaf tea cans and plant some thyme, rosemary or a small parsley plant for a sunny windowsill. A great place to get inspiration is www.Pintrest.com. … Continued

  • Ask The Advisor June 2011 Advisor Feed

    Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans is now in progress, and before selecting or renewing your current plan, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) encourages all members and supporters to explore their options diligently. According to the Congressional Budget Office, more than 0 billion will be cut from the program by 2023 due to requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and many MA plans may be making modifications to benefit packages and provider networks that could affect enrollees significantly. .If signed into law, H.R. 973 would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – two federal provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. .Compare costs. Before making any decision to drop your current plan ask for a breakdown of costs of the plan you are considering. However, keep in mind the information supplied by an insurer or agent may be incomplete or omit important cost information. Don't sign anything without consulting several outside sources of information. … Continued

For help estimating how much your benefits should be, the Social Security website has an earnings test calculator. For more information about the earnings limits, get "How Work Affects Your Benefits" Social Security Publication No. 05-10069. .On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed two bills – the Know the Lowest Price Act (S. 2553) and the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act (S. 2554) – into law that will protect Medicare beneficiaries and privately insured individuals from "gag clauses" at pharmacies. "Gag clauses" prevent pharmacists from telling consumers when it would be cheaper to purchase their prescriptions out-of-pocket than through their Medicare Part D or health insurance plans. .Please visit our Notch Reform Section for the most up-to-date information. .Grassley to Push Hard in the Senate for his Drug Pricing Bill .The House passed H.R. 1868 by a vote of 246-175 on March 19, with 29 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. ., Editor .A 2.5 or 3 percent COLA would be sufficient to boost an average monthly retiree benefit of ,500 by .50 to .00 respectively. That would be enough to cover a substantial Part B premium increase in 2021. .This week, three new cosponsors – Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), and Robert Scott (VA-3) – signed on to the Strengthening Social Security Act (H.R. 3118). The cosponsor total is now up to thirty-three. If signed into law, the bill would reform the Social Security program in three ways: it would adjust the benefit formula, resulting in more generous monthly benefits; it would adopt a Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, resulting in more accurate cost-of-living adjustments; and it would lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. TSCL enthusiastically supports the Strengthening Social Security Act since it would extend the solvency of the Trust Fund responsibly, without cutting benefits. We were pleased to see support grow for it this week, and we look forward to helping build support for it in the coming months. .To find contact information for your Members of Congress, to learn about important issues affecting seniors, or to sign a petition to Congress, visit the ACTION CENTER of our website.