News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending March 16 2012

    Sources: "Housing Bust Derails Some Seniors' Assisted-Living Care," Harris Myer, Kaiser Health News, August 21, 2011. .Require Medicare beneficiaries to pay a higher portion of the Part B premium. Premiums for Part B cover physician and hospital outpatient services. The premiums of most seniors, those with incomes under ,000, equal 25 percent of Medicare's total cost of services, and the federal government covers the other 75 percent of the cost. This proposal would require seniors to pay 35 percent instead - like higher-income seniors do now. The 2010 Medicare Trustee report estimates that Part B premiums at the 35% level would be 9.30 per month in 2012. .TSCL surveys over the past decade have indicated that the vast majority of older adults are overwhelmingly opposed to the government policy of allowing credit toward Social Security benefits for work under invalid and fraudulent Social Security numbers. A large number of the comments we receive are focused on the belief that immigrants are benefiting at the expense of U.S. citizens. Many older voters perceive unauthorized immigrants as benefiting from Medicaid, tax refunds for children, food stamps, and that children of unauthorized immigrants are swelling the enrollment of public schools. Meanwhile, the same voters are watching in disgust as lawmakers make surprise Social Security cuts, and battle down to the last minute over the question of whether to repay revenues borrowed from the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. … Continued

  • Social Security Medicare Questions July 2011 Advisor Feed

    Is there an information number for the Veterans Administration? .The bill, known as the Grassley-Wyden bill, would create a rebate system in Medicare Part B and Part D beginning in 2022 for brand-name drugs and biological products with prices that increase faster than inflation. Conservative groups and some Senate Republicans have opposed the rebate system for Part D, the prescription drug benefit program, but not for Part B, the outpatient services program. .Other critics say that revising the government's purchasing rules will not provide a quick solution to the supply shortages of the current pandemic. "Making Buy American provisions tighter during the current crisis would likely do more harm than good," according to William Reinsch and Jack Caporal of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. … Continued

TSCL is strongly opposed to any cut in the payroll tax and we have lobbied aggressively against one. The 2020 reports from the Social Security and Medicare Trustees projected that the Social Security trust funds will become insolvent in only 15 years. At that time, all Social Security beneficiaries would face a 21% benefit cut in benefits that would eventually go to 27%. .In many years when inflation is at more typical levels, only a small number of beneficiaries, those with the lowest benefits, are affected by the hold harmless provision. The reduced Part B premiums that they receive has minimal impact on Part B financing.[6] But in years when there is an exceptionally low COLA, the hold harmless provision is triggered more widely, and this leads to much more challenging financial impacts for both beneficiaries and for Medicare Part B funding. .TSCL Supports Bills to Prevent Premium Hike .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. .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. .Includes new and stronger penalties for Social Security fraud by attorneys, physicians, and others who receive fees for advising disability applicants. .Since 2000, COLAs have increased Social Security benefits a total of 55 percent, yet typical senior expenses through July 2021 grew 104.8%. The average Social Security benefit in 2000 was 6 per month. That benefit grew to ,262.40 by 2021 due to COLA increases. However, because retiree costs are rising at a far more rapid pace than the COLA, this study found that a Social Security benefit of ,671.20 per month (8.80 more) would be required just to maintain the same level of buying power that 6 had in 2000. .The ongoing problem of extremely low COLAs, and double digit Part B premiums could be eliminated entirely if Congress were to focus instead on ensuring a higher net Social Security benefit. This could be done by enacting a one - time benefit boost or an emergency COLA. Either approach would satisfy the Social Security Act's hold harmless requirement that an individual's net benefit will not decrease from one year to the next as a result of an increase in the Part B premium, as specifically stated in section (§1839[f]). To prevent the triggering of hold harmless it would be very important that an emergency COLA payable in January 2021 is structured as an actual boost to the net benefits of Social Security recipients, rather than simply providing a flat emergency payment by check. .Despite receiving some pointed questions at Wednesday's hearing, most Senators on the panel seemed overwhelmingly supportive of Burwell's nomination. Sen. Tom Coburn (OK) introduced her to the Finance Committee and he recommended her confirmation, saying: "When you have someone who is competent and also has a strong character, you find a way to get past your differences and try to solve your problems." In addition, in his opening remarks, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (WV) said, "We need you, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, very, very much."