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  • Issues Social Security Reform Track Bills

    The fact is no one can know ahead of time what healthcare will be needed in the future, let alone the actual costs of the services that providers charge. Doctors frequently refer patients to expensive specialists, and order endless expensive tests without spending adequate time to explain why the tests are necessary, how much they cost, or the chances of improving treatments through their use. .Expands disability investigation units effective Feb 1, 2016. .Prices like these are not only unaffordable for most Medicare recipients, these costs also place pressure on Medicare's finances, since Medicare pays 80% of Part D costs during the catastrophic phase of coverage. Although drug plans vary significantly, the 2019 "standard Part D benefit" has a 5 deductible and a 25% co-insurance up to an initial coverage limit of ,820 in total drug costs. That includes both what consumers and their drug plans pay. Once total costs exceed that amount, beneficiaries hit the Part D "doughnut hole" or coverage gap. Under that stage of coverage, beneficiaries pay 25% coinsurance on the discounted price of brand name drugs, and 37% co-insurance for generics until they have spent a total out-of-pocket of ,100. At that point beneficiaries enter the catastrophic phase of coverage, but are still on the hook for 5% of the cost of their prescriptions. … Continued

  • Judge Halts Illegal Immigrant Crackdown Feed

    To learn more, please visit . .The Senior Citizens League agrees that the Social Security 2100 Act is a fair and responsible solution to the financing challenges facing the program, and we are proud to have endorsed the it. In the months ahead, we will advocate for its passage tirelessly, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of this year. .TSCL strongly supports passage of the waiver legislation because of the potentially severe negative consequences they would eventually have on Medicare patients. … Continued

Third, one new cosponsor – Senator Kamala Harris (CA) – signed on to the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act (S. 469) this week, bringing the total up to twenty-two. If adopted, S. 469 would reduce prescription drug prices by allowing individuals, pharmacies, and wholesale distributors to safely import prescription drugs from abroad, where they are often much cheaper. .In addition, one new cosponsor – Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (TN-2) – signed on to the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (H.R. 2305). The total is now up to sixty-three. If signed into law, the PRIME Act would take a number of steps to comprehensively prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within the two programs – a problem that TSCL believes must be addressed in order to ensure that scarce program dollars are being spent properly. .Your guaranteed issue rights for Medigap. If you want to purchase a Medigap policy, you need to do so during your Initial Enrollment Period. If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, Medigap supplemental insurers can impose month waiting periods for pre-existing conditions that can leave you footing the bills until your coverage finally kicks in. On the other hand all Medicare Advantage plans offer guarantee issue rights, without exclusions or higher costs for pre-existing conditions or age during Medicare's fall annual enrollment periods. .First, one new cosponsor – Representative David Cicilline (RI-1) – signed on to the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act (H.R. 3302), bringing the total up to twelve. If adopted, H.R. 3302 would improve the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) by basing it on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). It would cover the cost of this change and improve the solvency of the Trust Funds by ensuring that high income earners pay their fair share of taxes into the program. .The Senior Citizens League proposes that Congress enact an emergency COLA or one - time benefit boost payable for 202TSCL supports legislation that would ensure that COLAs are no less than 3 percent. But the organization also recognizes that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in its January 2020 baseline, estimated that a 2.5 percent COLA would be payable for 202Thus, providing a 2.5 percent emergency COLA would provide what has already been projected for Social Security benefits by the CBO. .In addition, one new cosponsor signed on to the Strengthening Social Security Act (H.R. 3118), bringing the total up fifty-two. The new cosponsor is Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5). If signed into law, the bill would reform the Social Security program in three ways: it would adjust the benefit formula, resulting in more generous monthly benefits; it would adopt the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E), resulting in more accurate cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), and it would lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. The bill would extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund responsibly, without cutting benefits for seniors. .While the policy will mean that Medicare would spend less, patients will spend more— often, a lot more, and the charges would broadside most beneficiaries, coming as a complete surprise. TSCL is strongly opposed to this type of backdoor benefit cut, and has written a letter to President Biden urging him to rescind this CMS rule. Please sign our petition! .Sources: Making Work Pay Credit Was Implemented As Intended, But Resulted in Many Taxpayers Owing Taxes With Returns," Treasury Inspector General For Tax Administration, November 1, 2010, Ref. No. 2011-41-002. .Increasing the payroll tax cap. Under current law, the 12.4 percent payroll tax is applied only to the first 7,200 in earned annual income. Individuals earning more than that pay nothing in Social Security taxes on the rest of their earnings. Several proposals now before Congress would modify this policy so that higher income workers contribute more fairly to the program.