My pulmonologist ordered a CT scan, but the person scheduling appointments said they first had to check my insurance. Is this correct? I'm covered by Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan. I thought I would be covered for any medically necessary CT scan. .Stories About High Drug Costs Lead To Congressional Investigation of Pharmaceutical Pricing .When hold harmless is triggered program-wide as in 2016, however, there is no specific provision of law with which to finance the unpaid portion of Medicare Part B premium increases for the roughly 43 million who are protected by the provision. In the past, Congress has chosen to allow this cost burden to shift to the 30 percent of beneficiaries who are not held harmless. Because the cost is spread over far fewer people instead of all beneficiaries, they pay a far larger share of the costs, thus the Part B premium spikes. .Members in the House have decided to offset the bill with a five-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. Those in the Senate have acknowledged that its chances of passing through their chamber are slim. Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, said of the House's approach: "The House passes a law – they're very good at legislation – but it dies in the Senate. The Senate won't even bring it up." Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) has said, "We're going to move forward in our own way." .The study, which examined price changes from January of 2019 to January of this year found that, since 2000, the buying power of Social Security benefits improved 3 percentage points— from a loss of 33 percent as of 2019 to 30 percent in 2020. Between January of 2000 and January of 2020, Social Security COLAs increased Social Security benefits by 53 percent, but the costs of goods and services purchased by typical retirees rose almost twice as much — 99.3 percent. Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs, housing, and homeowner's insurance were among the most rapidly - rising costs over the past year. .The following Members of Congress, among others, will hold town halls this week: Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Mike Lee (UT), Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-3), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4). .No change to the taxation of Social Security benefits: Up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be subject to taxation. When that provision was first enacted into law in 1983, it was expected to affect only 10% of households with Social Security income. But unlike tax brackets, the income thresholds subjecting Social Security benefits to taxation have never been adjusted. Today, just as in 1983, individuals with incomes greater than ,000 (or ,000 for married couples filing jointly), pay taxes on their Social Security benefits. According to TSCL surveys, roughly half of all households receiving Social Security pay tax on a portion of their benefits. Not only are the numbers who pay the tax growing, but people are paying taxes on larger portions of their Social Security income as well. .The TREA Senior Citizens League News Room is the online resource for reporters to learn more about our work on behalf of seniors. With 1.2 million members, TREA Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. If you require additional assistance or would like to request an interview, please contact us. .TSCL Wants to Know: Did You Wind Up Owing Uncle Sam?