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  • U S Mexico Totalization Agreement Raises Questions Feed

    According to the new survey by The Senior Citizens League, the majority of Medicare beneficiaries (72 percent) report spending for prescription drugs that was less than the Part D initial coverage limit in 2020. But 28 percent of survey participants report a level of monthly drug spending (at least per month and more for co-pays and co-insurance) that puts them at risk of exceeding the Medicare Part D initial coverage limit and hitting the "coverage gap" or "doughnut hole" — the point at which drug costs can be higher than under initial coverage. In addition, one quarter of survey participants, 25 percent, said they postponed filling one or more prescriptions in 2020 due to high cost or shortages. Under current law there is no annual cap on out of pocket spending in Part D, except for the lowest income beneficiaries who qualify for Medicare Extra Help which covers most of their out of pocket costs. .Medicare Advantage plans offer comprehensive hospitalization, doctor, and outpatient services through selected network providers, and most also include coverage of prescription drugs. Typically, premiums for Medicare Advantage plans can be 60% less than premiums for a Medigap supplement and a prescription drug plan. Many also offer extra benefits that are not covered by Medicare, like vision or dental benefits. .This week, two new cosponsors signed on to the Strengthening Social Security Act (S. 567 and H.R. 3118), bringing the total up to three in the Senate and thirty-nine in the House. The new cosponsors are Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH) and Mark Pocan (WI-2). 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 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 Strengthening Social Security Act would extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund responsibly, without cutting benefits for seniors. … Continued

  • Category Legislative News Page 37

    Chairman Johnson said: "I know that fixing Social Security will require tough choices that will affect the lives of millions of Americans. Congress has a responsibility to the American people to make these choices. And the longer we wait, the harder it gets. If we wait until the Trust Funds are exhausted, some options won't even be available anymore. We must take this responsibility seriously. Americans want, need, and deserve nothing less." .In addition, early this week lawmakers in the Senate majority took the first steps towards a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (WY) introduced a fifty-four-page budget resolution – S. Con. Res. 3 – on Tuesday that includes instructions for fast-tracking the law's repeal. The resolution instructs the four committees of jurisdiction – two in the House and two in the Senate – to draft repeal legislation before a January 27th deadline. It overcame its first hurdle on Wednesday when the Senate voted 51-48 to proceed. .CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. Since the virus spreads more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships, the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high. It is especially important that people who are not fully vaccinated with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. … Continued

The fall recess continued this week, and Members of the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts to prepare for the upcoming elections, which will occur on Tuesday, November 4th. They are expected to return to Washington following the elections for a "lame duck" session. .Specialty-tier drugs are defined by Medicare, as those that cost more than 0 per month in 2019, and include drugs used to treat cancer, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis. Even when Part D enrollees reach the Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage phase, when co-insurance drops to 5%, beneficiaries who take these drugs can continue to face thousands of dollars in annual out-of-pocket costs, according to the Kaiser study. The study found that annual out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs in 2019 are expected to average ,994 across the 28 specialty-tier drugs that are covered by drug plans. .Doing nothing and allowing the Social Security recipients to go with just a 1.3% COLA, would be highly detrimental to the Social Security income of all retirees, and would not extend program solvency. TSCL is working to make Members of Congress aware of the need for providing this boost to your Social Security benefits both to strengthen your retirement income and to protect you from huge spikes in the Medicare Part B premium. .But here's the real kicker. A statute of limitation loophole is hamstringing Medicare from recovering overpayments. Federal law allows a Medicare claims contractor to reopen a payment determination for "good cause" at any time within 4 years of the date the original payment determination was made. But another provision of law bars the recovery of overpayments from providers that are "without fault." And the law states that a provider is deemed to be without fault 3 years after the year in which the original payment was made unless there is "evidence to the contrary." .For more information about town hall meetings near you in the days ahead, call the local offices of your Members of Congress. For contact information, click HERE. .In 1977 Congress enacted changes to the Social Security benefit formula that affected seniors just two years from first entitlement to Social Security. A transitional formula supplied by Congress to phase in the changes, failed to prevent abrupt cuts and big disparities – as much as 1.80 per month in the well – publicized case of two sisters who worked for the same company. .What should you do? If you still use paper tax returns, don't wait for the forms and instructions to show up in your mailbox. The IRS did not send any out this year. Visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov for forms, instructions, and to file online. Free tax assistance services may be available in your area, or call your local IRS taxpayer assistance office. .Help! My Insulin Costs Skyrocketed. Health Plan Blames Covid-19! .House Postpones Thursday AHCA Vote