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  • S 22 Medicare Dental Benefit Act

    The report attributed the rapid increase to "an aging population, rising health care costs, and an expansion of federal subsidies for health insurance." In 2039, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs are expected to cost approximately 14 percent of the economy, which is double the 7 percent average that has held steady over the past forty years. .TSCL is gearing up to fight legislation that would cut the current rate of COLA growth any further. To the contrary seniors need a COLA that more adequately protects the buying power of Social Security, and TSCL supports H.R. 776, the Guaranteed 3% COLA Act, introduced by Representative Eliot Engel (NY-17). Why not take a few minutes now to send your Representative an email explaining how you need a Social Security COLA you can rely on? Be sure to ask your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 776, the Guaranteed 3% COLA Act. .This week, action on Capitol Hill slowed down as Members of Congress adjourned for a holiday recess. … Continued

  • How Much Of Your Social Security Is Taken By Medicare Costs

    In addition, should your husband improve and regain the ability to work, he would be allowed to earn ,580/month in 2021 before his benefits would be temporarily reduced due to Social Security's earnings restriction rules. Under disability rules, your husband could not earn more than ,310/month without losing eligibility for disability benefits altogether. Should your husband continue to improve, he could earn more by the year he attains full retirement age. .You can go here to see the Mayo Clinic symptoms chart: .This is precisely what happened to Notch Babies. In 1977, Congress did not have the same benefit of computer software that so quickly does the projections and estimates that we have today. But even if Congress had developed examples illustrating benefit differentials among different categories of receipients "they would not have shown as great differentials as actually developed," said a paper written by James W. Kelly and Joseph R. Humphreys, that appeared in the 1994 report of The Social Security Notch Commission. Some reductions of 10% to 14% would have been anticipated at the time, but because inflation grew much more quickly than estimated, and wages grew much more slowly, benefits were reduced 13% — 30% for Notch Babies under actual conditions. … Continued

Pressure is on Congress and President Obama to reach a deficit reduction agreement to address rising federal debt. Many analysts expect that cutting annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) will be a central part to any agreement. That would not only cut the benefits of more than 53 million Social Security recipients, but those of Railroad Retirement recipients, military and federal worker retirees as well. .Do not engage with these calls or provide any personal information! If you get such a call or any call demanding your Social Security or bank account number, hang up. Don't respond to any recorded message. If you tend to get such calls, consider setting your phone up to allow an answering machine or voice mail to record or prescreen your calls. .I turn 61 this year and I'm still employed. I've read about waiting until my full retirement age before starting Social Security benefits. Is that 66? Do I enroll in Medicare at the same time I start Social Security? .Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. .Please donate today to support TSCL's work to help save the integrity of your benefits! .The government negotiates prescription drug prices for veterans and Medicaid beneficiaries, but it is barred from negotiating lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, seniors enrolled in Part D often pay much higher prices than other Americans for their prescription drugs. What are you doing to correct this unfair policy? ."Anything that puts you in contact with more people is going to increase your risk," said Cindy Prins, a clinical associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions. "If you compare it to just staying at home and quick trips to the grocery store, you'd have to put it above" that level of risk. .The amount you pay for your CT scan will vary by your Medicare Advantage plan and whether you get your CT scan from a preferred provider. You will need to call your plan to learn the out-of-pocket cost details, and to make sure the facility, doctors, and medical technicians performing the CT scan are preferred providers with your Medicare Advantage plan. You could pay considerably more if you use providers who are not under contract with your Medicare Advantage plan. Call the customer service number on the back of your health plan's card, have your questions written down and be ready to take notes. .In addition, TSCL encourages its members and supporters to vote on election day, which is next week, on November 8th. To best be prepared, check out our list of election day resources right HERE. To see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings in the days ahead, call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. For more sample town hall questions, click HERE.