News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending August 15 2014

    With so many grandparents becoming more involved in the day – to - day care of their grandchildren you may learn that you qualify for other programs that can reduce healthcare, food, and other expenses. We recommend that you take time to try the National Council on Aging's online "BenefitsCheckUp" screening tool to learn about benefit programs in your area. .You don't need to be a doctor to understand that Medicare-for-all would mean access to quality health care for none. So, as presidential candidates continue their road trip to ruin for rural America, remember that the hollow promises of a trillion government-run proposal would disproportionately affect the families who work every single day to feed and clothe you and your families. .Obama's new policy for illegal immigrants was recently announced and implemented without Congressional approval. Now questions are growing about the potential for widespread fraud — and with good reason, it seems. Less than two months after the government announced some 800,000 illegal immigrants would qualify for work authorization under the program, immigration policy analysts now say that more than twice that number, nearly 1.8 million, will qualify. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security appears to be accepting a surprisingly wide variety of evidence and supporting documents from applicants, hoping to prove that they qualify to stay in the U.S. and for temporary work authorization. … Continued

  • Ask Advisor December 2018

    TSCL continues to work with Members of Congress to pass "The Notch Fairness Act," legislation which would provide Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926 with a settlement of ,000 or a choice of higher monthly benefits. What you can do: Urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor and pass "The Notch Fairness Act," H.R. 1001 and S. 118! To learn more about the status of Notch legislation, give us a call 1-800-333-8725. .What are the waiting periods and exclusions? You can find dental plans that cover two cleanings and check-ups a year, but it's not uncommon for dental plans to require a year or two waiting period before covering basic fillings, or crowns and implants. Some plans will not cover pre-existing conditions, so if you are switching dentists and you are in the middle of getting bridge work done, the new dental plan may not cover prior dental work in progress. .Things aren't likely to improve next year. The Social Security Chief Actuary recently estimated that the COLA in 2017 would be just 0.4 percent, which would be the lowest COLA ever paid. That would raise benefits just .00 per ,000 in benefits. … Continued

One of TSCL's top priorities again this year is for legislation to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. It is outrageous that we in the United States pay some of the highest prices in the developed world for the prescription drugs that we urgently need to preserve our health. .The crackdown was unique not only for its scale, but also. No Lie! Affordable Care Act Not So Affordable .The order is a direct response to the President's efforts to greenlight the importation of drugs from Canada. .Medicare recently announced that a big change is coming to Medicare cards. To prevent identity theft and to help protect the program from fraud, Medicare will be dropping Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and issuing new cards starting next year. .Based on projections in the Trustees Report, Social Security beneficiaries should expect to see a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) between 2.4 percent and 3.0 percent in 201Medicare Part B premiums will likely increase by around .50 next year, so the typical beneficiary will pay 5.50 per month. If the estimates from the Trustees are correct, most Social Security beneficiaries will see modest increases in their net Social Security benefits next year after Part B premiums are deducted. . Zero premiums are also likely to end very soon. If Congress should cut reimbursements to plans as has happened in the past, some plans may respond by no longer offering coverage at all. Should Paula enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and her plan ceases to offer coverage in the future, Paula could have problems finding something comparable that she could afford. .No further information about the bill is available at this point but as soon as it is TSCL will review it to determine whether we will support it. .The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the rule would be mandatory and will focus on 50 single source drugs and biologic drugs that comprise the largest majority of Medicare Part B drug spending. .One new cosponsor – Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12) – signed on to Rep. Kevin Brady's (TX-8) Public Servant Retirement Protection Act (H.R. 2797) this week. The cosponsor total is now at seven.