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  • Category Legislative News Page 2

    This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for four key bills that would improve retirement security in America if adopted. .Here are some ways to trim the cost of visits to the vet: .Five Key Bills Gain Support … Continued

  • Congressional Corner The Social Security And Medicare Lock Box Act

    Last year President Trump proposed lowering the prices of certain Medicare drug prices by tying those prices to lower prices paid in other developed countries. Under that proposal, prices would have been lower than they are now, but would still be a certain percentage higher than they are in other countries. The President was not satisfied with that idea, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. On Wednesday Azar said the President wants the proposal changed so that prices in the United States are even lower than they are in other countries. .What Are The Ten Fastest Growing Senior Costs? .It remains unclear, however, how broadly the order will be implemented — the executive order does not specify what drugs it covers. Instead, the order directs the Food and Drug Administration to decide which medicines will be subject to the new requirements. Certain drugs can also be exempted from the executive order if they are too expensive to make in the U.S. or the U.S. is not already making them. … Continued

According to Medicare, no single organization was behind the 35 people charged in the genetic testing scam, which included 9 doctors. All of this comes at a time when Medicare and Medicare Advantage are expanding the use of telemedicine, which allows doctors and nurses to connect with patients over the internet or by cell phone for consultations and to check symptoms remotely. .Ask about insurer discounts. When shopping, learn what the prospective insurer gives discounts for. Smoke detectors, burglar alarms and dead bolt locks can be worth a 5% premium discount. .This week, one Member of Congress introduced legislation that could make the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) a more accurate measure of inflation. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for two key bills. .Will the Government Shut Down in 10 Days? .Throughout the hearing, the "big dog" in the room – as one witness referred to it – was the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). Each of the witnesses urged the Subcommittee Members to replace the current Medicare physician payment formula with a new model, saying that there's simply too much uncertainty surrounding the SGR. Though most seemed to agree, the price tag of repealing the SGR is daunting and the process of re-writing a billing system with 8,000 different codes will certainly take time. .You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Take these precautions whenever you are: .Raise the age—currently 67 for people born in 1960 or later— at which workers become eligible for full retirement benefits; or .In addition, next week lawmakers will continue working on a spending package that will fund the federal government past December 9th. Negotiations have already begun to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that will provide short-term funding through January 201However, if those in the House and Senate fail to reach a compromise before the looming deadline, the government will shut down like it did in 2013 and Social Security beneficiaries could see negative impacts. .Payments to the plans were cut 6 billion over 10 years under 2010 healthcare reform legislation. So far the program has remained relatively stable and continues to grow in enrollment.