Under current law, Social Security benefits are adjusted annually based on changes in the consumer price index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). According to the Social Security Administration, the intent of the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) is to help protect the buying power of benefits from increases in inflation. All beneficiaries receive the same percentage of increase, but the dollar amount varies based on the amount of benefits that one receives. In years in which inflation has gone down, there can be no COLA at all. .The House recently approved legislation that would require a valid Social Security Number in order for tax filers to claim the child tax credits, but the fate of the legislation is uncertain in the Senate. TSCL is strongly opposed to allowing illegal immigrants to collect refundable tax credits of ANY kind. We encourage you to contact your Members of Congress to tell them to put a stop to this .2 billion hand-out. Send an email to your Member of Congress online. .For women, that number is even lower, it's ,000 a year. .Check to see if your drug plan has a deductible, and how much the deductible should be. The number of drug plans that are charging a deductible increased in 2020, and a larger percentage of the plans is charging the full standard deductible of 5 in 2020. A deductible is the amount you pay before your coverage kicks in. Deductibles can vary in how they are applied. You may get coverage for generics from day one, but you are probably going to be required to satisfy a deductible for your Eliquis. Of particular note, enrollees in the SilverScript Choice plan paid no deductible in many regions of the U.S. last year, but they will pay as much as 5 in 2020. A similar situation affects enrollees of the Humana Enhanced plan, who paid no deductible in 201For those who chose to remain in the plan — which is now called Humana Premier Rx, they will pay a 5 deductible. .Although Part D plans are given leeway to vary how they structure their plans here is a breakdown of the standard Medicare Part D plan cost sharing in 2020: .Nursing homes not being checked .Most of the overpayments – nearly 40 percent – went to those who began working or had a positive change in income. Another 24 percent of the overpayments went to those who had a medical improvement and no longer qualified. Around 7.5 percent of the overpayments went to those who became imprisoned, and 7.2 percent went to deceased beneficiaries. According to the report, the agency was able to recover approximately .1 billion in overpayments. .Help! Mom Moved In With Us, But Her Medicare Plan Isn't Accepted Here! . You are fortunate to already be in a Medicare drug plan that covers Lantus because not all Part D plans do. If your drug plan had been one of the several Medicare Part D plans that doesn't cover Lantus, this drug could cost as much as 0 per 100/ml vial. Many diabetics need about 3 vials per month to control their blood sugar, which would cost more than ,000 over a 12-month period. But since you are in a plan that covers Lantus and presumably the other drugs that you take, here's what to expect when you exhaust 2019's Part D initial coverage limit of ,820 in total drug costs, which includes what both you and your drug plan pays.