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  • Over 65 Prevent Big Medicare Penalty Costs Sign Up Now During Annual General Enrollment Period

    Premiums and coverage details can vary enormously, but here are a few things to consider: .However, it is possible that some doctors and hospitals may opt not to accept Medicare due to lower cost reimbursements or providers may also try to pass extra costs to consumers. .Every day approximately ten thousand people reach their retirement age. Many have spent a lifetime working to care for their families and save for retirement all while paying federal taxes. The taxes paid into Social Security and Medicare have helped make these programs successful for past generations of retirees. … Continued

  • Congressional Corner Halt Tax Hike Seniors

    In the past, supplemental benefits offered by MA plans were only required to be primarily health related and typically included dental, hearing or vision benefits. Starting in 2019, new supplemental benefits must be medically appropriate and recommended by a licensed provider as part of a care plan, and not offered simply to induce enrollment. Examples of the new supplemental benefits include adult day care services, in-home support services, home and bathroom safety devices, transportation, and home-based palliative care. However, to qualify for these benefits, you must be diagnosed with a condition for which these benefits are necessary, and the benefits must be listed by your physician as part of your plan of care. .The petitions that poured into Congressional offices this spring urged each Representative and Senator to support key bills like the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act, the Social Security Fairness Act, and the Notch Fairness Act, each of which would go a long way in protecting the earned benefits of seniors. The petitions also protested issues that our members feel strongly about, like amnesty for illegal immigrants and the pending Social Security Totalization Agreement with Mexico. .For example, those living in North Carolina's 3rd congressional district received emails introducing them to Congressman Walter Jones, sponsor of the Social Security Guarantee Act, and consistent supporter of important bills like the Notch Fairness Act and the Social Security Fairness Act. Those living in Oregon's 4th district received emails introducing Congressman Peter DeFazio, sponsor of three critical bills: the CPI-E Act, the Social Security Protection and Truth in Budgeting Act, and the No Loopholes in Social Security Taxes Act. These and other campaign efforts proved to be successful, as many critical lawmakers won their re-election bids and will continue to advocate for seniors in the next session of Congress. … Continued

The billion could be financed without taking money from the Social Security Trust Fund. One way is through reduction of pork barrel spending and government waste. In the fiscal year 2001 budget alone, pork "watch-dog" Senator John McCain (AZ-R) estimated that the government would spend a record billion in pork-barrel projects. .Congress has a number of options to pay for the higher benefits that drew strong support in our 2020 Senior Survey: .During the years in which inflation as measured by the CPI-W has been the highest, the difference between it and the chained CPI has been greatest. In 2008, for example, when the CPI-W paid a COLA of 5.8% the following year, the chained CPI would have only paid 5.2%, a difference of 0.6 of a percentage point. "And if the government were to use the initial chained CPI data to calculate COLAs for 2012, seniors would get just 2.7% instead of 3.6%, a difference of 0.9 of a percentage point," Hyland says. .Unlike AARP, The Senior Citizens League is a true grassroots organization. Almost one hundred percent of our revenue comes from individual donations, and we do not sell any products to our members. We even refuse outside advertising in our materials. Our sole focus is on education and protection of the Social Security and Medicare benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. .Which COVID-19 Vaccine Should You Take? .The basic science that has allowed the small company to move so rapidly was developed with a huge prior infusion of federal money to come up with a treatment for diseases like Zika. .Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a "quick fix." .While the Social Security Trustees project that the program will remain solvent until 2033 and that the Medicare Trust Fund will be solvent until 2024, both programs are currently paying out more than received in cash revenues. Because the federal budget is in deficit, the government is borrowing the money to pay benefits. The cost of interest payments is increasing as a portion of the federal budget. The question is how long can the government continue to borrow the money. .Catastrophic coverage stage (if you spend a total of more than ,100 counting all your prescriptions): .15