News

  • Insurers Use Misleading Marketing Tactics Feed

    When the pandemic hit early last year, seniors became more susceptible than ever to scams, because of the increased digitization of our daily lives. Newly-available resources are now being used as bait, and already existing scam techniques have unfortunately adapted to fit the pandemic narrative. .Many on Capitol Hill consider the proposal to be a political document and deemed it "dead on arrival," though Congress could use the proposal as a road map while forming their own fiscal 2013 budget. TSCL will keep a close eye on this debate over the coming months. .Defeating Alzheimer's requires uniting Americans nationwide in conjunction with local government, healthcare experts, and outside organizations like the Alzheimer's Association. We are all in this fight together, and ending this disease will take time and a common focus on the task at hand. That's why we must continue to raise awareness of Alzheimer's and the promising efforts taking place to curb its growth, as well as increase support for patients and their caregivers. While the challenge of battling Alzheimer's is immense, the outpouring of support and dedicated activism for this crucial cause gives me hope that we can one day effectively treat—and eventually cure—this devastating disease. … Continued

  • H R 3761 Seniors Deserve A Raise Act

    The flurry of activity in Congress has shared the top of the news this week with the continuing Covid-19 crisis and the beginning of the vaccine distribution program. We try not to repeat news here that is available to everyone who gets their news from TV, radio, newspapers or online, but there are two things that occurred in all the activity that are especially important to seniors. .Check to see if your drug plan has a deductible, and how much the deductible should be. The number of drug plans that are charging a deductible increased in 2020, and a larger percentage of the plans is charging the full standard deductible of 5 in 2020. A deductible is the amount you pay before your coverage kicks in. Deductibles can vary in how they are applied. You may get coverage for generics from day one, but you are probably going to be required to satisfy a deductible for your Eliquis. Of particular note, enrollees in the SilverScript Choice plan paid no deductible in many regions of the U.S. last year, but they will pay as much as 5 in 2020. A similar situation affects enrollees of the Humana Enhanced plan, who paid no deductible in 201For those who chose to remain in the plan — which is now called Humana Premier Rx, they will pay a 5 deductible. .TSCL strongly supports The PRIME Act, bipartisan legislation that would prevent the loss of billions in Medicare dollars every year. The PRIME act would make it more difficult to misuse Medicare provider billing information used in prescriber fraud. The legislation also requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and law enforcement to take steps to curb the use of stolen physician identities. … Continued

In a statement that was released on Thursday, Mary Johnson – Policy Analyst for The Senior Citizens League – said: "The bottom line is that Medicare Part B premiums rise several times faster than COLAs, and those premiums are now high enough to cause the net Social Security benefits of millions of people to remain flat for years at a time … This would make the fourth year in a row that this particular group has not seen a boost in their net Social Security benefits." .Why Can't Legal Guardians Receive Social Security Benefits on Behalf of Grandchild? .The further we read into the Affordable Care Act, the more we learn it doesn't address the issues of rising costs and access to quality care. A majority of my patients were either Medicare beneficiaries or Medicaid recipients. I understand the importance of these issues and want you to know that I am working hard to ensure everyone, especially seniors, has access to quality care and to keep the Federal Government out of the way when it comes to making the important decisions that affect your health and well being. .During these meetings, the following issues were discussed: Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, Social Security Notch fairness, Social Security Totalization Agreement reform, and repeal of both the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and the government pension offset (GPO). Support was expressed for many of these key issues, and TSCL looks forward to working with these offices in the future. .What you don't know about Medicare supplements (Medigap) or Medicare Advantage plans could cost you dearly. The system is rigged in favor of Medicare insurers, and consumers often have little idea what they will need or be able to afford. Here are a few tips: .Common sense suggests that the slowdown in rising Medicare costs is unlikely to last long. Medicare spending results for two main reasons: .Why does that happen? .Medicare Advantage Plans May Offer New Supplemental Benefits, .In September, federal agents announced the arrests of 35 people linked to a huge genetic testing scam. Individuals charged are accused of billing Medicare for more than .1 billion worth of phony genetic tests. The crackdown included telemedicine companies, doctors, and labs which worked in an elaborate scheme that preyed on people's fears of having genetic markers for cancer.