News

  • Illegal Workers Could Access Billions In Social Security Money Says Social Security Administration Feed

    There is no simple, direct mechanism for regulators or legislators to control pricing. Our laws, in fact, favor business: Medicare is not allowed to engage in price negotiations for medicines covered by its Part D drug plan. The Food and Drug Administration, which will have to approve the manufacturer's vaccine for use as "safe and effective," is not allowed to consider proposed cost. The panels that recommend approval of new drugs generally have no idea how they will be priced. .Congress Averts Shutdown .(Washington, DC) – Sixty - five percent of retirees participating in a new survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) report that their monthly household expenses in 2020 rose by more than . That includes 40 percent of survey participants who reported that their monthly household expenses are up by 0 or more. Yet the same survey also found that 63 percent of participants indicated that their 2021 COLA, which was 1.3 percent, raised their net monthly Social Security benefit by less than after the deduction for the Part B premium. … Continued

  • 18 Workers Pay No Social Security Taxes Earnings 128400

    Few employers outside the federal government and the military have taken up the option. Costco Wholesale Corp., United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. are among employers that have said they aren't participating. .Your chance to make some changes is coming up, November 15 through December 3Since Medicare's open enrollment period is in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, your best bet is to do your homework by starting now. Here are some things you should know: .Defeating Alzheimer's requires uniting Americans nationwide in conjunction with local government, healthcare experts, and outside organizations like the Alzheimer's Association. We are all in this fight together, and ending this disease will take time and a common focus on the task at hand. That's why we must continue to raise awareness of Alzheimer's and the promising efforts taking place to curb its growth, as well as increase support for patients and their caregivers. While the challenge of battling Alzheimer's is immense, the outpouring of support and dedicated activism for this crucial cause gives me hope that we can one day effectively treat—and eventually cure—this devastating disease. … Continued

A California physician ordered 115 Schedule II drugs (the class at highest risk for addiction) for just one beneficiary in 200Medicare paid 5,711. .What does this new "pay for performance" mean for patients? Not much is known yet, but I got a first - hand experience of the new system recently. One of my doctors, a specialist, told me that due to a "quality initiative reorganization," he wouldn't be seeing me as a patient anymore. I'll have to find a new doctor. .Last week President Biden's administration unveiled its plan to lower prescription drug prices that includes a number of aggressive proposals but that are basically the same proposals that Democrats have pushed for years, many of which Democrats in Congress are currently working on to include in upcoming legislation. The plan would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, a longstanding pledge from Biden, Democratic lawmakers, and every Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. It also would limit yearly price increases, allow the importation of drugs from Canada, and place a cap on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare beneficiaries .Government officials, like the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, can opt out of buying American drugs if the product is not produced "in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities" in the United States or buying the product in America would raise procurement costs by 25 percent. .Talk with people at your local Area Agency on Aging or local senior services organizations. Find out about the senior housing options in your area, what they cost , and whether there are any charitable senior living programs that can help people like your mother until her home sells. .Many in Congress have been outspoken about the potential cuts. Last week, a bipartisan group of forty Senators sent a letter to CMS urging administrators to maintain current payment rates in order to protect seniors from potential benefit disruptions. TSCL has also been expressing its concerns to lawmakers, and we will continue to keep a close eye on the issue in the coming weeks. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website. .How to Protect Yourself and Others .Action on Capitol Hill remained slow as Members of both the House and Senate spent the final week of the month-long recess in their home states and districts. Members of Congress are expected to return to Washington on Monday, September 10th. .'It´s not clear why the administration hasn't made a bigger push to line up votes to get a bill through the Senate and a deal with Congress, given strong public support to lower drug costs,' said Tricia Neuman, a Medicare expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.