News

  • Legislative Update September 2018

    "This increase is due in large part to the effects of a zero and an excessively low cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2016 and 2017, occurring when Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs like prescription drugs were climbing steeply," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. .Impose new Medicare deductibles and impose new coverage restrictions on Medigap plans: Impose a new 0 deductible for both Medicare Part A and Part B that Medigap plans would be restricted from covering. Would also limit the co-insurance or co-pays that Medigap plans could cover to 50 percent of the next ,000 in Medicare cost-sharing. Currently plans pay most, or all, of the Medicare cost sharing. .Chen cited two international flights from earlier stages of the pandemic where infection rates varied depending on mask use. On the first flight, no passengers were wearing masks, and a single passenger infected 14 people as the plane traveled from London to Hanoi, Vietnam. On the second flight, from Singapore to Hangzhou in China, all passengers were wearing face masks. Although 15 passengers were Wuhan residents with either suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, the only man infected en route had loosened his mask mid-flight and had been sitting close to four Wuhan residents who later tested positive for the virus. … Continued

  • No Annual Cost Of Living Adjustment Expected For Next Year

    No. Your understanding is correct, although there are circumstances that might explain the income. The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program's rules generally restrict beneficiaries from working and earning substantial amounts while they are receiving benefits. When beneficiaries first return to work, however, they can earn an unlimited amount for 12 months without losing their benefits under "trial work period" rules. Thereafter they can earn a specified limit, ,480 in 2013, before their benefits are eliminated. .If I received the ,000 Lump-Sum Settlement, would I then lose my monthly Social Security check? Would the amount of the check be raised to the level that it should have been all along? .Now, another warning has been issued that some sanitizers made in both the U.S. and China contain benzene, a chemical known to cause blood cancers such as leukemias. … Continued

Progress Report: Getting Congress On Board For Key Senior Issues .We are reading a lot these days about "Greedy Geezers." The term is used to describe supposedly self-centered seniors who insist that elected lawmakers get their HANDS OFF! Social Security and Medicare. These affluent old codgers are reportedly bankrupting the nation, leaving nothing but crushing debt and taxes for the nation's children. .Here are some questions to consider in shopping for dental insurance: .This week, HHS announced several important numbers that will affect Social Security and Medicare benefits beginning in January. On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the Medicare Part B monthly premium will be left unchanged in 2014, and it will be set at 4.90. The Part B deductible will also be left unchanged, and it will remain at CMS officials noted on Monday that the past five years have been among the slowest-growing for Part B premiums in the Medicare program's history. .By making decisions now before her health changes, your sister can have more choices and a better chance of telling you "she only wished she would have moved sooner." Doing this together may have you saying the same thing. .TSCL strongly supports passage of the waiver legislation because of the potentially severe negative consequences they would eventually have on Medicare patients. .Employers are only required to check SSNs and report wages, but aren't required to verify whether individual workers have legal authorization to work in this country. When employers submit wage reports with SSNs that don't match those of Social Security, the reports wind up in the Earnings Suspense File until they can be reconciled. .Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated earlier this week, "What I hope to be able to do is keep the government open, to avoid a government shutdown, to do no harm, and to be as boring as possible." The House planned to vote on a package that would simply extend current funding levels through mid-December on Thursday, and the Senate was set on taking it up next week. .Try going back to work or getting a second job. — Reducing costs is often the harder choice, because costs tend to grow with age. You may want to consider getting a job that could provide extra income and perhaps help with health benefits. Even if you must stay at home as a caregiver, you may want to consider providing adult day care to another individual if your home is set up for that, or to find a job that allows you to work online from home.