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  • Protecting Your Health Care Decisions

    Medicaid is popular with the public. When asked about their views on Medicaid, three-fourths (74 percent) of the public, including majorities of Democrats (84 percent), independents (76 percent), and Republicans (61 percent), hold a favorable view of Medicaid. Majorities also support increasing funding for Medicaid or keeping it the same, with 40% increasing funding, and 47% who support keeping funding at the same level. .The House-passed bill eliminates the medical expense deduction, which approximately 5 million taxpayers over the age of sixty-five rely upon when their out-of-pocket medical costs total more than 10 percent of their annual income. The elimination of this deduction would be a catastrophic financial loss for those who find themselves in need of costly in-home or nursing home care. Congressman Kevin Brady (TX-8) – the chairman of the bicameral conference committee – said this week that he hopes to keep the deduction in place, but discussions remain up in the air. .The age at which you start receiving Social Security benefits. … Continued

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    The bill, which TSCL supports enthusiastically, was amended this week to include a pay-for that would cover the projected cost of its passage. Since the IPAB currently has no appointed members and it has not yet been triggered to begin making recommendations to Congress, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that its repeal will have no budgetary impact over the next six years. However, it could increase spending by around .1 billion between 2022 and 2025 since it may be triggered during that timeframe. ."Hello seniors!" the voice bellows. "Medicare covers a remarkable new device that can give you freedom from lower back pain! Hold the phone to find out how to get your free, Medicare-covered back brace. " While free usually sounds good, this call is worse than a pain in the lower backside. It's. Feds Bust 243 People In Biggest Medicare Fraud Yet In what the U.S. Department of Justice is calling the largest nationwide crackdown on Medicare and Medicaid fraud ever, some 243 people were recently arrested and charged for bilking Medicare out of 2 million. Those charged include 46 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals. .While the reasons for that are still being explored, it is likely the wearing of masks, frequent hand washing and staying away from crowds contributed to those results. … Continued

Gang of Eight Defends Immigration Reform Plan .Healthcare Debate Continues in Senate .Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse – Ensure that scarce Medicare and Social Security dollars are spent properly. .The Senior Citizens League supports legislation that would strengthen the COLA and better protect the buying power of Social Security recipients. To learn more, visit . .Starting a new medication can sometimes take you by surprise when drug plans don't cover the drug or charge higher co-pays than you can afford. If you're having trouble covering the cost of your medicine, here are some things to try: .It would implement a moratorium on all field office and contact station closures to ensure that beneficiaries have access to the essential services they provide. .If the Social Security Administration announces a 1.3% COLA next month, an emergency COLA of 2.5% instead would make a big difference to your income over the next ten years and would also prevent Medicare Part B premiums from spiking any higher than they are already likely to go. .Congressman Elijah Cummings (MD-7) – Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee – announced his committee's investigation into twelve of the largest pharmaceutical companies in January. He said, "The goals of this investigation are to determine why drug companies are increasing prices so dramatically, how drug companies are using the proceeds, and what steps can be taken to reduce prescription drug prices." The first hearing that his committee held in the 116th Congress examined the causes of rising drug prices. .TSCL plans to continue hosting town hall meetings in the future. If you are interested in helping us plan a meeting in your area, click HERE.