This week the House of Representatives is expected to pass the final version of President Biden's .9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, after which the President will sign it and it will become law. .Co-pays and coinsurance: This refers to the portion of the cost of services that you pay out-of-pocket. Co-pays are a fixed amount that you will pay for each service. For example, in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be billed a co-pay of to see a primary care physician and to see a specialist. On the other hand, coinsurance is a variable amount. It is a percentage of the cost of the service. Theoretically if the total cost of the service is ,000 and you pay 20% coinsurance, your cost could be about 0. Under Medicare Advantage your health plan negotiates the cost of service, thus you would want to call your plan to get an idea what your total out-of-pocket costs would be, and whether your provider is a preferred provider. Under most Medigap policies, the Part B co-insurance cost is covered in large part, but there still could be some "excess charges" that you pay out of pocket. .For updates on the three bills endorsed by TSCL this week, follow the Legislative News or the Track Bills sections of our website. To view TSCL's full legislative agenda for the 115th Congress, click HERE. .The President Introduces his Plan to Lower Drug Prices .This week, one House Subcommittee heard from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) about its most recent report to Congress, which was titled Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. In addition, the 2013 recovery estimate was released for the Senior Medicare Patrol, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for two key bills. .To get your health services through Original Medicare. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, deductibles and co-pays may apply to these preventive services. Check with your plan to see what costs and rules apply. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) – signed on to the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1391). The total is now up to sixty-two. If signed into law, H.R. 1391 would increase Social Security benefits by 2 percent, cut taxes for over 11 million seniors, increase the minimum benefit to 125 percent of the poverty line, and make cost-of-living adjustments more fair and accurate. It would also take measures to increase the solvency of the trust fund beyond the next seventy-five years, through the year 2100. .On Thursday – one day later than promised – lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee released the text of legislation that will comprehensively reform the tax code if signed into law. Despite the delay, leaders in the House expressed their commitment to passing the legislation before the Thanksgiving recess begins on November 17th. Just eight legislative days remain before then. .(Washington, DC) – Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) would need to double their rate of growth and Medicare Part B premium increases would need to slow by half their historic rate to provide greater Social Security benefit adequacy, says a new report from The Senior Citizens League. Using the federal government's economic projections for the Social Security COLA and Medicare Part B premium estimates over the next decade, the study examined how well Social Security benefits would cover Part B premiums increases in coming years.