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  • Notch Reform Feed

    In a statement, Congressman Doggett said: "Despite groundbreaking medical discoveries, we see no breakthrough in affordability for consumers. Drug pricing in America is a tangled mess, a knot that will take more than one cut to pull apart … Sick patients are tired of seeing Congress do nothing about a problem that affects so many." .Action on Capitol Hill was slow this week as Members of the House returned to their districts for a week-long recess, and most Members of the Senate kept their focus on a transportation bill and a series of judicial nominations. However, on Thursday, four Senators unveiled a drastic plan to phase out Medicare. .Two weeks after President Trump signed an executive order "Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First," the White House still has not released the text of the order. The unorthodox move is apparently a leverage play, an attempt to squeeze drug companies into offering concessions. … Continued

  • 44 Of Seniors At Risk Of Hitting Doughnut Hole And Uncovered Drug Costs In 2012

    Depending on your health, it might be to your advantage to start unemployment benefits and delay taking Social Security right away. Allow several months to search for a new job. The longer you can postpone starting Social Security, the higher your benefit will be. In addition, should you find a good job and start working again, your Social Security benefits could be reduced by excess earnings. If you are under your full retirement age you may earn ,480 in 2014 (,290 per month) before Social Security would withhold in benefits for every over that amount. ."The loss of a job not only means the loss of income, but it also can mean the loss of healthcare benefits, and both employee and employer contributions to retirement accounts," Johnson notes. Depending on how long older workers remain out work, a growing number may turn to Social Security and file claims for benefits earlier than originally planned. That can mean permanently reduced benefits for people who haven't reached their full retirement age. .Sources: Making Work Pay Credit Was Implemented As Intended, But Resulted in Many Taxpayers Owing Taxes With Returns," Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration, November 1, 2010, Ref. No. 2011-41-002. … Continued

Get free one-on-one counseling. If all this makes you want to run away screaming, but you still have questions, just call your State Health Insurance Program (SHIP). You can get free one-on-one Medicare benefits counseling that can help you check your drug plan and figure out your charges. Many of these programs operate through local area agencies on aging. You can find local contact information at this website: https://www.shiptacenter.org. .TSCL Gears Up For Busy New Year .I'm new to Medicare. I didn't realize that Medicare doesn't cover eye or hearing exams like my former insurance at work. My income is pretty low. Where can I go to get these services? .Your total earnings, including your earnings now until you stop working. .It remains to be seen how long the impasse will last, and whether or not Congressional leaders will lend their support to the bipartisan group's plan. Currently, no clear end to the shutdown is in sight. The Senate will remain in session over the weekend, and Members of the House have been told to stay in Washington for possible votes. The government shutdown should not have any effect on the daily lives of seniors, but TSCL will closely monitor the discussions for any developments, and we will continue to post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. .This week, one member of TSCL's Board of Trustees – Legislative Liaison Joe Kluck – visited Capitol Hill to advocate for legislation that would strengthen and improve the Social Security and Medicare programs. The following key issues were discussed in several meetings with Members of Congress and congressional staff this week: .TSCL is particularly concerned about adding significant new long-term permanent costs to Social Security and Medicare by providing temporary work authorization to millions of people who worked illegally prior to gaining authorization. The high degree of uncertainty about the potential future costs was made evident months before Obama ever announced the executive action in November of last year. .This week, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act (S. 2011) from Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) gained one new cosponsor: Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT). If adopted, the bill would require the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Its cosponsor total is now up to seven in the Senate. .Despite the fact that leaders are holding steadfast on their positions, a small bipartisan group in the House proposed a plan on Thursday that would fund the government for six months and repeal the health care law's controversial tax on medical devices. The leaders of the bipartisan group – Reps. Ron Kind (WI-3) and Charlie Dent (PA-15) – believe their proposal represents a fair compromise that both sides can support.