News

  • Issues Prevention Of Fraud Waste Track Bills

    The last vaccine to quell a global viral scourge was the polio inoculation, which ended outbreaks that killed thousands and paralyzed tens of thousands each year in the United States. The March of Dimes Foundation covered the nominal drug cost for a free national vaccination program. .To learn more about the WEP, download the Social Security Administration Publication No. 05-10045 here — https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf. .Shoring up the Medicare Part A Trust Fund will be more difficult. Simply cutting payments to hospitals would not be in the best interests of patients or hospitals, because many medical centers are already faltering financially. … Continued

  • 2017 Cost Of Living Adjustment

    The loss of a job entitles each of you to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), but the rules and deadlines will differ for each of you. Because your husband is under the age of 65, he should check options for coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.Healthcare.Gov). Because of your husband's job loss, your income may be lower and he may qualify for an advance premium tax credit subsidy that would lower the cost of premiums. .However, price negotiations could be included later this year in a reconciliation bill, a fast-track budgetary move that only needs 51 votes to pass the Senate and cannot be blocked using a filibuster. .The federal government negotiates prescription drug prices for Medicaid and for veterans, but it is not allowed to negotiate lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. Do you support that policy? … Continued

The WEP affects people who worked for a state or local government employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes from salary. When you claim the pension for your work as a police officer, the WEP can reduce your Social Security benefit by as much as half of the amount of your pension. .As we continue dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic, TSCL remains constant in our fight for you to protect your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. We've had to make some adjustments in the way we carry on our work, but we have not, and will not stop our work on your behalf. .There are two points to remember about the first rule: Medicare has always been barred from negotiating prices directly with drug companies; and other countries regulate their health care spending more heavily, including for prescription drugs. .House Passes Prescription Drug Legislation .So, what should those who have received the Covid-19 vaccines do now? .Sen. Sherrod Brown Introduces CPI-E Bill .However, we believe Congress can and must do more to reduce prescription drug prices. In the months ahead, we will continue to advocate for legislation like the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (S. 41, H.R. 242), the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act (S. 469, H.R. 1245), and the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S. 771, H.R. 1776). ."If the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and Congress take no action to lower the Part B premium, most of those who were protected by "hold harmless" will need a hefty COLA in order to raise their benefit just to cover the cost of Medicare Part B premiums in 2018," Johnson says. .TSCL agrees with Congressman Carter and Ranking Member Cummings, and we believe Congress must act before the end of this year to prevent price gouging in the pharmaceutical industry. We enthusiastically support the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, and we will advocate for it tirelessly in the months ahead. For updates on the bill's progress, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow us on Twitter.