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  • Category Issues Medicare Fraud Waste And Abuse Faqs Feed

    It's true that public opinion can sway votes in Congress, especially during a critical election year like this one. TSCL strongly believes that grassroots lobbying is the most effective way for the public to communicate with elected Members of Congress. Our members spoke loudly and clearly when they signed more than 1.5 million petitions, and many Congressional offices met our deliveries with surprise and gratitude. We look forward to partnering with many of those offices in the future to ensure that Congress lives up to the commitments it has made to seniors. .The Senior Citizens League and the Alliance for Retired Americans endorse my Seniors' Security Act because they know what I do – that our seniors should be enjoying their golden years, not worrying about how they'll pay their bills and stay in their homes. .The Senior Citizens League regularly tracks and estimates the projected annual COLA increase with the release of monthly consumer price index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Inflation data through August are confirming that the COLA will be in the vicinity of 0.2%, forecast by the Social Security Trustees, and that would trigger the "hold harmless" provision," Gibbons says. … Continued

  • The Senior Citizens League Tscl Petition To The Democratic National Committee

    It sounds as though either your mother, or her acquaintance, received some incorrect information. "The Notch Fairness Act," legislation that would provide Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926 with a settlement of ,000, or a higher monthly benefit, has not yet passed. No doubt that's why the Social Security Administration did not respond to your mother's request. It is correct that widows or widowers receiving benefits on the account of a Notch Baby would be entitled to the ,000, or the higher monthly benefit if the legislation is enacted. .The poll, which was conducted in September and October of this year, during the debt limit budget standoff, found that respondents voted higher and more fair COLAs as an even greater priority than "Preventing 20% Social Security Disability Insurance benefit cut" or "increases in Medicare premiums and cost-sharing"— two provisions which were passed in the recent debt deal. .Prescription Drug Re-Importation – Making safe, secure re-importation a reality. … Continued

Will there be a COLA in 2021? Maybe not. .This week, the Senate Finance Committee met with a representative from the Obama administration to discuss alternatives to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw five key bills gain new cosponsors. ."This leaves 20 percent of survey participants who just aren't sure if their Social Security benefits will be taxable this tax season or not, more than triple the 6 percent who were uncertain about the 2019 tax year," Johnson says. The survey, which was conducted online from mid-January through February, had more than 864 participants. .The CMS rule change would also make it more difficult to qualify for nursing home and even home health care coverage after leaving the hospital. To qualify for nursing home coverage, one must spend three days as an inpatient. Outpatient stays do not qualify for Medicare coverage of nursing home stays. Without a qualified hospital inpatient stay, patients may even have trouble finding home health care agencies that would serve them due to Medicare's lower Part B reimbursement rates. .Medicare Advantage plans offer comprehensive hospitalization, doctor, and outpatient services through selected network providers, and most also include coverage of prescription drugs. Typically, premiums for Medicare Advantage plans can be 60% less than premiums for a Medigap supplement and a prescription drug plan. Many also offer extra benefits that are not covered by Medicare, like vision or dental benefits. .For more than three decades the government has quietly made numerous changes to how the cost of living is defined and measured — asserting that the changes make the CPI more accurate. The general public for the most part is unaware of the changes, and more importantly the financial impact on benefits has never been publically disclosed. .You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Take these precautions whenever you are: .What you can do: Contact your Members of Congress and tell them that cutting the COLA to reduce the deficit is unacceptable. To provide income seniors can rely on over a retirement, COLAs needs to keep up with rising costs, something they don't do well enough now. .Cruise passengers who are not fully vaccinated are more likely to get COVID-19, which spreads person-to-person, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships.