News

  • Issues Medicare Prescription Drug Policies Track Bills

    Commissioner Colvin backed the plan to address the DI program's looming insolvency that was released by President Obama in his recent fiscal 2016 budget blueprint. That proposal would adjust the distribution of payroll tax revenues for a period of five years, so that the DI program would receive 0.9 percent more than it currently is receiving, adding around seventeen years to the trust fund's solvency. .The Mayo Clinic has put out the following information as a way of helping you decide what it is that you may be suffering from. You are advised that if your symptoms are the same as in the past you are likely suffering from allergies again. But if there is any variation you should get tested for Covid. And if you have any doubt, getting tested for Covid is probably the right thing to do, especially if you have not been fully vaccinated. .Eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits that currently applies to individuals with incomes as low as ,000 and married couples with incomes less than ,000. … Continued

  • Three Ways Obamacare Repeal Affect Medicare

    TSCL is very disappointed to hear President Trump continue to demand a payroll tax cut before he will agree to any new legislation dealing with the effects of the pandemic emergency. .Social Security benefits are determined by the income earned (up to the taxable maximum) over a working career, and the number of years worked. The more money you make and pay taxes on, and the more years you work the larger your monthly Social Security benefit will be. The Social Security Administration calculates your benefits based on the 35 years in which you earned the most money. But many women, especially those who become mothers or caregivers, give up a substantial portion of their earnings to care for a family. .Republican leaders have also begun discussing plans to reform Medicare and Medicaid next year in an effort to reduce the deficit that the .5 trillion tax bill will create. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (WI-1) said in a radio interview on Wednesday: "We're going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform, which is how you tackle the debt and the deficit … This has been my big thing for many, many years. I think [Medicare is] the biggest entitlement we've got to reform." TSCL opposes reforms to Medicare, Medicaid, and other earned benefit programs that would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for older Americans. We will continue to advocate against benefit cuts in the months ahead. … Continued

To avoid significant cost increases and unexpected benefit cuts next year, TSCL encourages its members and supporters to examine all MA plan offerings closely before making a selection or allowing a plan to automatically renew. The open enrollment period ends on December 7th, and coverage begins on January 1st. In the meantime, TSCL will continue to monitor the status of the MA program and advocate for legislation like the Medicare Advantage Participant Bill of Rights Act, which would protect MA enrollees from unfair and abrupt changes to physician networks. .TSCL continues to support re-importation of drugs more than general importation of drugs made in other countries. And, while we also support imported medicines made in other countries, we strongly insist that the drugs be certified to be sure they are pure and contain only the ingredients they are supposed to have. .In January as my specialist told me goodbye, he gave me a 10-day prescription for a simple .16 antibiotic. Did I get better? Yes, at least for now. While the antibiotic treatment was inexpensive and seems effective at curing the cough, the CT scan and bronchoscopy he ordered last year cost about ,000 before insurance. Would I have done just as well getting that prescription from my primary care doctor and skipping all the rest? Maybe, but how does the patient make that judgment? .The main bill in the Senate regarding prescription drug prices is one that is authored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). After Trump issued his executive orders, Sen. Grassley said he plans to use the time until the executive orders go into effect to build support for his own prescription drug package which, as we said above, has stalled in the Senate. .Fraud, waste and abuse are costing taxpayers and seniors an estimated billion a year, but Medicare fails to recover overpayments about 80 percent of the time. The Inspector General recently said that of the 6,287,546 in overpayments identified through the 30-month period ending March 31, 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported collecting only ,168,50But it gets even worse. The OIG said that it could not verify that the ,168,502 had been collected as reported because CMS did not have an adequate system for documenting overpayment collections. .Last year, I co-founded the bipartisan House Retirement Security Caucus in order to raise awareness about the importance of properly planning for retirement (and the pitfalls of not doing so). As co-chairman of the caucus, I am committed to making sure the federal government does not make retirement planning more complicated than it should be. Just recently, in response to the Department of Labor's proposed "fiduciary rule" that could restrict Americans' access to financial advice, I voted for the SAVERS Act (H.R. 4294), which would protect such access while also helping to ensure that financial advisors act in the best interest of the retirees and families they serve. .New Legislation to Stop Looming Cuts to Medicare Urgently Needed .The Medicare Trustees estimated in their April 2020 annual report that the base 2021 Part B premium would rise by .70 (6 percent), from 4.60 to 3.30.[1] The annual report was written prior to the coronavirus national emergency and does not incorporate the effects of the coronavirus caused recession, the interaction with an extremely low COLA. .Passage of legislation in Congress is more complicated than most people realize. The Constitution allows each chamber of Congress to set its own rules for getting it done.