News

  • Millions Of Oldest And Poorest Senior Citizens Would Receive Compensation Under New Legislation Feed

    These bills would enable retired school teachers, university employees and thousands of civil servants to receive all of the Social Security pensions for which they are entitled. A Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) have long limited the full aid that these beneficiaries merit. .Over the past 25 years, Congress has periodically debated plans to fix Social Security's financing, that rely heavily on benefit cuts. But for the first time in 2019 and 2020, Congress is considering a plan to strengthen Social Security and its benefits while making the program solvent by beefing up the payroll tax revenues flowing into the program. .The first new rule affects Medicare Part B drug costs, which are typically infused or injected drugs used mainly in the treatment of cancer. The intent is to cap the cost of those drugs at the lowest price that drug manufacturers receive in other countries and to pay doctors a flat fee for each dose of a drug, instead of a percentage of each drug's cost. … Continued

  • Immigration Action Planned Behind Closed Doors

    Demographics dictate that Medicare spending will climb in the future as more people become eligible and enroll, and as aging increases the need for more healthcare services. Cutting the growth of Medicare spending without cutting access to affordable care for seniors will be a monumental challenge for Congress. TSCL believes a great deal more can be done to find savings by making the system more efficient and to clamp down on fraud, waste and abuse. .In the absence of reliable data, we decided to ask the experts about the possibility of contracting the virus while on a flight. On the whole, airplanes on their own provide generally safe environments when it comes to air quality, but experts said the risk for infection depends largely on policies airlines may have in place regarding passenger seating, masking and boarding time. .Trump Expected to Issue Executive Orders about Prescription Drugs … Continued

One of TSCL's goals this year was to end "surprise billing" – the situation that happens when some types of medical providers, including anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, and labs may not be contracted with your health insurer even though they provide services at a hospital or facility that is in your health plan's provider network. So, in addition to your expected out-of-pocket costs, you also get a bill for the difference between what your insurer has agreed to pay that provider and the amount the provider billed for their services. .While the Commission's plan received the support of a majority of the 18-member commission, the plan was three votes shy of the 14 votes needed to force Congressional action. Nevertheless, both President Obama and Congressional leaders said they would include many of the recommended proposals in their upcoming budgets for fiscal 2012, which are due soon. .Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse – Ensure that scarce Medicare and Social Security dollars are spent properly. .Despite the big drop in costs related to petroleum prices, the overall costs typical of Social Security recipients continue to grow faster than benefits. Since 2000, the COLA has increased benefits just 43 percent while typical senior expenses have jumped 74 percent. Inflation has been at historic lows in recent years and seniors received a COLA of just 1.7 percent this year. .TSCL supports both prescription drug bills introduced by Senators Franken and Sanders earlier this year, and we will continue to advocate for them tirelessly in the coming months. We will also continue to monitor these discussions on Capitol Hill closely, as the Senate HELP Committee is expected to hold two additional hearings on the prescription drug topic in the near future. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow TSCL on Twitter. .I am pleased to tell you that earlier this year I introduced House Resolution 680, which expresses the will of the House of Representatives to protect Medicare for Americans 55 and older and to seek ways to root out waste, fraud, and abuse from the program. With heated rhetoric coming from both parties about the future of Medicare and how to save it, my resolution is an attempt to find common ground – the first step toward protecting seniors and achieving any meaningful reform. .The other rule concerns drug rebates involving Medicare Part D. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that last year Part D rebates totaled .8 billion, representing an average discount of nearly 30% for brand drugs. .Set up a healthcare worksheet with your basic expenses. That can include Medicare premiums for Part B (deducted from your Social Security), Medicare supplement premiums and Part D premiums OR Medicare Advantage premiums. You also need to include deductibles, out-of-pocket co-pays or co-insurance. In addition, include the costs for premiums or out-of-pocket costs for services that Medicare does not cover, including dental, vision and audio. Include the cost of glasses and hearing aids and batteries if you use them. .Here are some ways to trim the cost of visits to the vet: