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  • Category Issues Medicare Part D Faqs Page 3

    However, with two weeks to go before the October deadline, negotiations have stalled. Leaders in the House have decided to tie the temporary funding extension to a measure that would defund the Affordable Care Act. Currently, a number of political strategies are being considered, but members of both political parties are unsatisfied with the options that leaders have put forth so far. .(Washington, DC) – Low inflation in recent years may be helping younger workers cut costs at the gas pump, but it isn't translating into lower costs for older and retired Americans, says The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). According to a recent study by TSCL, Social Security beneficiaries have lost 23 percent of their buying power since 2000. And another year of low cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) is in store for 2017, according to a new TSCL analysis of consumer price index (CPI) data through August 2016. .Oversight Committee Examines Prescription Drug Market … Continued

  • Legislative Update August 2015

    According to the new survey by The Senior Citizens League, the majority of Medicare beneficiaries (72 percent) report spending for prescription drugs that was less than the Part D initial coverage limit in 2020. But 28 percent of survey participants report a level of monthly drug spending (at least per month and more for co-pays and co-insurance) that puts them at risk of exceeding the Medicare Part D initial coverage limit and hitting the "coverage gap" or "doughnut hole" — the point at which drug costs can be higher than under initial coverage. In addition, one quarter of survey participants, 25 percent, said they postponed filling one or more prescriptions in 2020 due to high cost or shortages. Under current law there is no annual cap on out of pocket spending in Part D, except for the lowest income beneficiaries who qualify for Medicare Extra Help which covers most of their out of pocket costs. .If you are over the age of 65 and need help paying for eye care services, you might be eligible for help from EyeCare America. This organization is one of the nation's leading public service programs to provide eye care through a group of more than 5,500 volunteer ophthalmologists. According to their website, ninety percent of the care provided is at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. .Here's how this scam works: Crooks target low-income Medicare beneficiaries to persuade them to participate. Your brother-in law may have been asked, or even coerced, into "selling" his Medicare card number and signing weekly or monthly papers to verify that home healthcare services were rendered (even if they weren't.) In exchange, he may have received the TV as a one-time payment. … Continued

If adopted, H.R. 1716 would prohibit unauthorized workers from receiving Social Security benefits based on work done while in the country illegally, using stolen, fake, or fraudulent Social Security numbers. TSCL was pleased to see support grow for H.R. 1716 this week, and we will continue to advocate for it on Capitol Hill in the months ahead, since we feel that protecting the integrity of the Social Security program is of utmost importance. .To learn more about President Obama's Executive Action On Immigration, see TSCL's F.A.Q.: "What Does "Executive Action" On Immigration Have To Do With Social Security and Medicare?" .The new cards will have unique, randomly-assigned numbers called a Medicare Beneficiary. Benefit Bulletin: June 2016 Can You Identify Medicare Fraud In This Story? .Finally, one new cosponsor – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-7) – signed on to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's (IL-9) Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (H.R. 1776). The cosponsor total is now up to seventeen in the House. If adopted, it would take several steps to reduce prescription drug costs. It would require the federal government to negotiate lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries, allow individuals to import prescriptions from Canada, accelerate the closing of the Part D "doughnut hole," and cap monthly out-of-pocket drug expenses at 0, among other things. .The only order of business was a resolution which "condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attack which occurred." The resolution was passed unanimously. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) offers its condolences to the victims, friends, and families of those who were murdered or injured and wishes every surviving victim a speedy and successful recovery. .Fourth, one new cosponsor – Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36) – signed on to Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (H.R. 242), bringing the total up to forty-four. This bill, if adopted, would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Under current law, CMS is prohibited from doing so. .By Rick Delaney, Chairman of the Board, TSCL .Sources: "What Medicaid Cuts Will Mean For Seniors," Gleckman, Kaiser Health News, May 18, 2011. .Dr. Kevin Schulman, a physician-economist at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, called that amount "staggering." But Katherine Baicker, dean of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, said that from society's perspective "0 billion might not be an unreasonable sum" to pay to tame an epidemic that has left millions unemployed and cost the economy trillions.