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  • Best Ways Save August 2016

    The issue of physician choice and access to care for Medicare recipients arises time and again as Congress has taken last minute action to prevent drastic cuts to physician reimbursements. Only repeated, last-minute actions have saved doctors from substantial pay cuts. Cutting reimbursements for doctors has surface appeal because it does not require seniors to pay additional dollars out-of-pocket. However, there is a hidden cost. Physicians who live under constant fear of substantial cuts may opt to stop serving Medicare patients, resulting in loss of access to care for many seniors. .Benefit Bulletin: February 2014 Before Obamacare & 8220;Glitch,& 8221; There Was The Notch Glitch .Medicare Advantage Plans May Offer New Supplemental Benefits, … Continued

  • Fully Vaccinated Anxious To Start Traveling Again Heres Important News For You

    According to the report, the triggering of hold harmless will continue on an individual basis, particularly when inflation is lower than forecast (about 2.4 percent) or if Medicare Part B premium increases are higher than forecast (5%), or both. The risk for both is high, because over the past 8 years COLAs have averaged just 1.2 percent and since 2000 Medicare Part B premiums have increased on average more than 10 percent per year. According to the report, individuals with the lowest benefits, 0 or less, are the most likely to be affected by hold harmless on an individual basis over the next decade, even in years when a COLA is payable, particularly if Medicare Part B premium increases are higher than expected. ."Our health care system is a symbol of our national identity and we are committed to defending it. The actions we are taking today will help protect Canadians' access to the medication they rely on," said Patty Hajdu, Canada's minister of health. .Lowering drug prices is one of the highest priorities of TSCL and we will be working very hard to get legislation passed this year. … Continued

We are covering this study again because according to an article on BenefitsPro.com, "The study is part of a growing body of evidence that cost-sharing, designed to encourage consumers to make smarter choices when shopping for health care, is not achieving that goal. Both anecdotal and statistical data suggest that health care, as it exists today in the U.S, is simply too complicated and opaque for Americans to approach as a simple consumer product." ."Even though our new Congress may remain divided, these five areas of broad agreement could be potentially used as a legislative roadmap that would provide greater retirement security and reduce needlessly high Medicare costs," Johnson says. The Senior Citizens League is working for passage of legislation that would boost Social Security benefits, and supports efforts to lower Medicare costs. .To see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings during the spring recess, click HERE or call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. .Judge Rules Hospitals Must Disclose Prices .What Kind Of Health Insurance Do Members of Congress Get? .The prices that insurers pay for in-network services are typically much lower than the provider list prices. .In addition, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is prohibited from negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of the more than 40 million Americans who get their prescription drug coverage from Medicare Part D. .TSCL is mounting a campaign that strongly urges seniors nationwide to speak out against benefit cuts. "We hope you'll sign and return the petitions we are mailing to supporters against the 'Chained COLA'," says TSCL's Executive Director, Shannon Benton. "Chaining the COLA is a 2 billion cut that will reduce your benefits by as much as 9% over the course of a retirement," Benton notes. .Senate investigators recently explored one such astonishing case. They took a closer look at a disability attorney and retired Social Security judge who practiced along the border area of Kentucky and West Virginia. Some 10 to 15 percent of the entire population of the area — about three times the national average — is on disability.