News

  • When Should You Enroll In Medicare

    My mom was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. What benefits does Medicare cover for this condition? .Although many older Americans continue to face challenges as they approach retirement, Congress can and should do more to ensure that no retiring American needs to worry about making ends meet. .Five Bills Gain Support … Continued

  • Update For May 8 2021

    If adopted, H.R. 1170 would strengthen and expand the Social Security program by providing beneficiaries with a monthly benefit boost, basing cost-of-living adjustments on the CPI-E, and setting the Special Minimum Benefit at 125 percent of the poverty line. It would also apply the payroll tax to all income – including investment income – over 0,000. . Find out which drug store has the lowest cost-sharing before you fill. Your cost sharing can be dramatically higher depending on where and how you fill your prescription (retail versus mail order). Make sure you are using a preferred vs. standard network pharmacy and compare the prices of retail pharmacies with getting a 90-day supply from your drug plan's mail order pharmacy. For example, if you are enrolled in the Wellcare Wellness Rx plan and get your Eliquis from a standard in-network pharmacy, your copay for Eliquis after the 5 deductible would be during the initial coverage phase, and 7.38 in the Part D coverage gap. However, if you get your Eliquis from a preferred in-network pharmacy the co-pay is .00 during the initial coverage phase and 3.36 in the coverage gap. Depending on where you live, and your drug plan's mail order pharmacy, sometimes you may save a little more using mail order. .Sources: "Advocates Head To Court To Overturn Medicare Rules For Observation Care," Susan Jaffee, Kaiser Health News and USA Today, May 3, 2013. … Continued

TSCL is disappointed in the repeated attempts of lawmakers to reduce funding for the healthcare of their sickest and poorest constituents in 201TSCL urges all of you to get ready to vote this election year. Start now by checking that your voter registration is up to date, particularly if you have moved recently. .TSCL Believes New Policy Would Add To Growing Social Security Woes .As part of the economic stimulus bill just passed by Congress those sharp cuts have been put on pause. .About one in five older and disabled Medicare beneficiaries has income so low that their state Medicaid programs pay some or most of their Medicare costs. That includes Medicare Part B premiums and out-of-pocket costs, as well as services that aren't covered by Medicare, such as vision, dental and nursing home care. .Sources: "Draft MedPAC Language Calls For Medicare Benefit Redesign," John Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, March 8, 201Medigap Reform: Setting The Context, Kaiser Family Foundation, September 2011. .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. .In 2016, under the Supplemental Poverty Measure 14.5% of adults age 65 and older lived in poverty, compared to 9.3% under the official poverty measure. .For more information see the Medicare publication, "Are You a Hospital Inpatient or Outpatient?" CMS Product No. 1143Get a copy online at www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE ( 7). .The financial impact of six years of low COLAs isn't immediately apparent to the average person, but "It's a big one, " Cates says. A new analysis for TSCL that compared the increases from 2010 through 2015 against the prior 3% average found that, altogether, the benefits of the typical Social Security recipient will be about ,298 lower by the end of 201In 2015 the average monthly Social Security benefit will be about 3 lower, and ,356 less for the year.