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    TSCL believes that while the proposal may be a sensible first step, it doesn't go far enough. Before individuals can enroll in Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, they must be enrolled in Medicare Part B and have a Medicare number. How illegal immigrants obtain that number, and whether they are properly enrolled in Medicare Part B, are two key questions. "To prevent ineligible people from receiving benefits, the responsibility lies with the 'gatekeeper' and that's the federal government," says TSCL's Executive Director, Shannon Benton. "The Social Security Administration and Medicare need to do more to prevent illegal immigrants from getting Medicare numbers to begin with," Benton says. "In addition, both Medicare and private health and drug plans need up-to-date and accurate verification systems in place to determine whether beneficiaries are legally present when they receive services," she adds. .Senate Group Proposes Medicare Phase-Out .As of yet the White House has not put out President Biden's plans for drug pricing legislation, or how strongly they will push for it. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending August 8 2019

    Unlike other types of health insurance, Part D plans do not have a fixed annual out-of-pocket maximum, and you could potentially continue to spend even more than ,100 this year. While that's a huge sum for just prescription drugs, the out-of-pocket threshold "re-sets" and it starts all over again next year. Unless Congress takes action, the out-of-pocket threshold is scheduled to make a steep increase in 2020 to ,250, due to an expiring provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. .However, taking this action would cause at least two difficulties for the President. Signing legislation to reduce Medicare spending on the drugs would generate official budget savings that Congress could have applied to other health-care legislation -- bills to expand insurance coverage or reduce other drug spending, for example. Executive action taken before a bill's passage would remove a key bargaining chip, and likely reduce the scope of a health-care bill expected in the coming months. .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. … Continued

However, according to a 2015 report, older Americans lose approximately .5 billion each year to financial scams and abuse, and these numbers are increasing as technology makes it easier for scammers to target older Americans. A 2016 survey from the Investor Protection Trust found that almost 1-in-5 seniors, approximately 7 million Americans, have reported being victims of exploitation. .For example, one Maine resident worked in the private sector, paying into Social Security for fifteen years before she returned to the teaching profession. Her earned Social Security benefits would have totaled 0 a month. However, due to the WEP, she receives only 0 each month from the program. She is also unable to collect Social Security spousal benefits due to the GPO, even though her spouse paid into the system throughout his entire career. In retirement, she must rely almost entirely upon her teaching pension, which is modest since she spent only a decade in the profession. She told the National Education Association, "If I had known the severe financial penalty I was to pay for returning to teaching, I don't think I would have done it." .The future of the AHCA remains uncertain in the House, and in the Senate, lawmakers have been even more cautious about its prospects. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (TX) said: "Once [House lawmakers] pass the bill, my assumption is, the Senate's going to take a look at it but not necessarily be rubber-stamping what they're proposing. I would anticipate that we'll do what we used to do all the time which is, the House will pass a bill, we'll pass a bill, and then we'll reconcile those in a conference committee." .According to the Associated Press, the AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, which is being used in Great Britain, does more than prevent people from falling seriously ill — it appears to reduce transmission of the virus and offers strong protection for three months on just a single dose, researchers said last week in an encouraging turn in the campaign to suppress the outbreak. ."Super Congress" Holds First Hearing .Pre-Election Recess Continues .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. .TSCL is concerned that illegal immigrants who gain temporary work permits and Social Security numbers would become permanently eligible for Social Security and Medicare among other federal benefits. Here are several areas of concern: .Now more than ever, we must fight to ensure that when older Americans retire they can look forward to a stable economic future and reliable, high-quality healthcare. During the devastating economic recession, older Americans saw their hard-earned savings dwindle, lost millions in diminished pension funds, and were laid off just a few years before retirement. Now, Congress must work past partisan gridlock to support seniors. During my time in Congress, I've fought for seniors by reaching across the aisle to protect landmark programs like Medicare and Social Security and introduced commonsense legislation that will strengthen the financial security of older Americans.