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Benefit Bulletin April 2012 Advisor
This week, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill following a two-week spring recess and quickly began working on legislation to fund the federal government past Friday, April 28th. At the time of writing this week's update, a continuing resolution (CR) had not yet been adopted by either chamber, but votes are expected by Friday evening. .To learn more about benefits, Notch Babies or a family member helping on their behalf can get personalized assistance to screen and apply for benefits. If you have accesses to the internet use the BenefitsCheckUp screening tool by visiting www.benefitscheckup.org. If you don't have computer access call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1166. .This week, TSCL's legislative consultants, Former Congressman David Funderburk and Mrs. Betty Funderburk, along with TSCL's legislative assistant, Jarrad Hensley, were on Capitol Hill for meetings with Members of Congress and their top staff. … Continued
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Issues Prevention Of Fraud Waste Articles
When a zero COLA was announced for 2016, the Medicare Trustees projected that the Part B premium and deductible amounts would increase by an unprecedented 52 percent between 2015 and 2016 — from 4.90 to 9.30 per month.[7] Passage of The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, however resulted in reducing the increase in Part B premiums from 9.30 per month to 1.80 per month, which was still an extremely high 16.1 percent increase. The premium included a repayment amount that was added to monthly premiums of all beneficiaries in future years to recover over time the cost of the reduced premium rate in 2016.[8] .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. .Under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, private and public sector large employers are responsible for providing health insurance for employees and contributing toward the cost of insurance. Generally, the federal health insurance exchange is only available for people who can't otherwise afford to purchase the insurance offered by their employer (according to thresholds set by law). But the fight to pass the 2010 Affordable Care Act was so contentious and controversial that some Members of Congress insisted that their colleagues set an example and be required to have the same coverage as all other Americans. … Continued
Some 13% of the people who receive both Medicare and Medicaid are 85 and older. The youngest Notch Babies turn 85 this year, while the oldest turn 9That's approximately 1.17 million. TSCL believes that roughly one quarter of Notch Babies receive Medicaid as well as Medicare. .Congress This Week .Sadly, Washington is feeding Americans misinformation about Medicare and how we are trying to save the program. No one in Washington wants to see our seniors suffer. But the truth is undeniable: If we don't address this now, together, Medicare really will end. If anyone else tells you differently they are not facing reality. We must take steps — even small steps — to address this. That's what this Resolution does: it forces us to consider two steps toward common ground. .Senator Nelson also asked Congressman Price about his plans to privatize the Medicare program at Wednesday's hearing. A recent reform plan authored by the Congressman would transform the traditional Medicare program into a "premium support" model, where beneficiaries would be given vouchers from the federal government to purchase private insurance. In the past, Congressman Price has claimed that such plans would result in lower costs for both Medicare and its beneficiaries, but at Wednesday's hearing, Senator Nelson presented a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office that projected premium increases of at least 125 percent for seniors living in Florida and other heavily populated states. He expressed serious concerns about the privatization of Medicare since his constituents would see higher medical costs. .Notification dates: Because you started working and received about 6 months of Social Security payments prior to your notification of Social Security, these payments may not have been properly accounted for in your withholdings and may form a substantial portion of the overpayment. It's very important to notify Social Security, either in advance or immediately, if you work. .The Senior Citizens League is pleased that lawmakers successfully advanced legislation that will result in lower out-of-pocket costs at pharmacies, but we believe Congress can and must do more to reduce prescription drug prices. In the months ahead, we will continue to advocate for comprehensive legislation like the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drug Prices Act (S. 771, H.R. 1776), which would lead to significantly lower costs for seniors if adopted. For progress updates, follow The Senior Citizens League on Twitter or visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. .A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass the appropriations bills that allow agencies to operate. As a result, federal workers and government contractors temporarily don't get paid until after the shutdown has ended. But hitting the debt limit would have far more reaching effects. The debt limit is the legal limit on the total amount of debt the federal government may take on. That limit is especially important to older Americans because the federal government has used trillions in excess payroll tax revenues from the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds in the past, and now must borrow in order to pay Social Security and Medicare benefits in full and on time. .One of the programs President Biden supported during his campaign for .I'm 62 and trying to make some decisions about retirement. I'm confused and overwhelmed with information. Recently a friend told me about a retirement coach. I've never heard of this before. Is this a good idea or just another scheme to siphon money out of people nearing retirement?