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    TSCL was pleased to see four new cosponsors sign on to H.R. 711 this week, and in the months ahead, we will continue to advocate for its passage so that public servants receive the retirement security they have earned and deserve. For updates on the progress of H.R. 711, follow TSCL on Twitter, or visit the Legislation News section of our website. .The budget resolution now heads to the House floor, where its future remains uncertain. Republican leaders in the House have been attempting to win the support of the 40-member conservative Freedom Caucus for weeks, but they have not yet been successful. They will need to rely upon a least a dozen of their votes for its passage. Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (GA-6) told reporters this week that he is "working with members who are not on the Budget Committee" to build support for it, and that it will be taken up "when we have the votes." .In the past, supplemental benefits offered by MA plans were only required to be primarily health related and typically included dental, hearing or vision benefits. Starting in 2019, new supplemental benefits must be medically appropriate and recommended by a licensed provider as part of a care plan, and not offered simply to induce enrollment. Examples of the new supplemental benefits include adult day care services, in-home support services, home and bathroom safety devices, transportation, and home-based palliative care. However, to qualify for these benefits, you must be diagnosed with a condition for which these benefits are necessary, and the benefits must be listed by your physician as part of your plan of care. … Continued

  • Seventeen Co Sponsors For The Notch Fairness Act

    Are These Home Nurse Visits Legit? .According to TSCL estimates, benefits are now 13% lower this year than if inflation had remained the more typical 3% for retirees who have been receiving Social Security since 2009 when the low COLAs started. A Social Security benefit of ,000 in 2009 is about 2 per month lower today than if COLA had been the more typical 3%, with a total loss of about ,697 in Social Security benefit growth over the past seven years. Over the same period, however, actual senior costs have continued to climb. Some 72% of retirees who participated in TSCL's 2016 Senior Survey reported that their monthly expenses had gone up by more than in 2015, despite the lack of growth in inflation. .At the hearings, many Committee Members were still getting up to speed on the structural and procedural aspects of the IPAB. The IPAB, which will be made up of 15 "experts" appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, will begin issuing recommendations to Congress in 2015 if Medicare spending exceeds the targets established by the Affordable Care Act. Those recommendations will be reviewed on a "fast-track" basis, and, if Congress fails to act quickly, HHS will be forced to implement them. … Continued

You can also sign a petition to your Members of Congress, find contact information for your Senators and Representatives, and stay updated with the latest news on Capitol Hill. .The report found similar price disparities in expensive specialty drugs that treat complicated conditions like cancer. .Four Things To Avoid When Shopping For Retirement Housing .For many aged 65 and older, times are already tough. Since 2005, health care costs have risen faster than inflation every year except 200We need to be working to make retirement more secure for the 130,000 seniors living in Southern Arizona who I represent and the millions of others across the country. I'll continue to fight to make that happen. .When he issued the orders President Trump gave the drug industry until Aug. 24 to find a suitable alternative to one of his drug pricing plans. He also announced that he would be meeting with drug company executives last Tuesday to begin discussions about a different plan. .The Medicare Trustees estimated that the base monthly Medicare Part B premium in 2012 would be 6.60. For seniors who became eligible for Medicare in 2010, that may be a modest savings. Those seniors are probably paying a base premium of 0.50 for Part B. But most seniors will pay more. You should plan accordingly as well since any increases in your Medicare supplemental plan and drug coverage and out-of-pocket costs, would very likely offset what little savings you may get on Part B. .However, it remains unclear if lawmakers will be able to successfully negotiate an omnibus before the December 11th deadline. Many in Congress are hoping to attach language to the spending measure that would block funding for an immigration executive order that President Obama is set to announce in the coming weeks. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD), Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, called the request a "deal-breaker," and said that it would likely result in a veto from President Obama. .Officials in Canada said at that time that this would not be an effective approach to reducing drug prices in the U.S. since the Canadian market is small, representing only 2% of global pharmaceutical sales, compared to 44% south of the border. .Canada Bans Sending Drugs to U.S.