News
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Congressional Corner November 2018
Social Security Totalization Agreements are designed so that workers and their employers would not be subject to double taxation, owing payroll taxes to both the country in which they work, and their home nation. In addition, totalization agreements allow workers to earn generic work credits good for receiving retirement benefits in either country. These credits from the United States and other countries can be totaled together to receive benefits. The U.S. currently has 24 totalization agreements with other nations, most having economies similar to our own. .CMS said in a press release that this change is to provide patients and their doctors more options and to lower costs by promoting more competition among hospitals and independent surgical centers. But while these surgeries will be removed from the inpatient-only list, the government did not approve any of them to be performed anywhere else. Patients will still have to get care at hospitals but, because these services have been reclassified, they will be billed under Medicare Part B as outpatient services, instead of Medicare Part A for hospital services. Medicare beneficiaries pay a bigger share of the costs under Part B, than under Part A for an inpatient stay, and those costs would also drive up Medicare Part B premiums in the future. .The real danger of traveling isn't the flight itself. However, going through security and waiting at the gate for your plane to dock are both likely to put you in close contact with people and increase your chances of contracting the virus. In addition, boarding — when the plane's ventilation system is not running and people are unable to stay distanced from one another — is one of the riskiest parts of the travel process. "Minimizing this time period is important to reduce exposure," wrote Corsi. "Get to your seat with your mask on and sit down as quickly as possible." … Continued
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Prescription Drug Costs
Things could get worse for older households. Some economists and policy makers worry that the new economic stimulus will cause consumer prices to spiral. Consumer price index data through February showed a big jump in some prices and suggests that the next Social Security COLA may in fact be much higher — the highest since 2019 when the COLA was 2.8%. "But right now, those higher prices erode the buying power of Social Security benefits," says Johnson who studies the impact that rising prices have on the purchasing power of Social Security recipients. According to research by Johnson, from January of 2000 to January of 2020, Social Security benefits have already lost 30 percent of buying power. .Pelosi is reported to be aiming for a House vote on the plan by the end of October or early November but Senate Majority Leader McConnell has already said the bill will go nowhere in the Senate. .The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on nursing homes, leading to large numbers of residents and staff becoming become ill or dying. We hope that such catastrophes may help focus attention on long-term problems that plague these facilities. … Continued
The Senior Citizens League enthusiastically supports S. 2553, S. 2387, and S. 974, and we will continue to advocate for their passage on Capitol Hill in the months ahead. For more information about these and other bills that have been backed by The Senior Citizens League, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. For frequent progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter. .The Senior Citizens League is pleased that lawmakers successfully advanced legislation that will result in lower out-of-pocket costs at pharmacies, but we believe Congress can and must do more to reduce prescription drug prices. In the months ahead, we will continue to advocate for comprehensive legislation like the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drug Prices Act (S. 771, H.R. 1776), which would lead to significantly lower costs for seniors if adopted. For progress updates, follow The Senior Citizens League on Twitter or visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. .A seventeen-member conference committee comprised of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate is currently working towards a long-term bipartisan deal to keep the federal government operating. Should they fail to reach a compromise before the looming deadline, it will shut down once again. .Defeating Alzheimer's requires uniting Americans nationwide in conjunction with local government, healthcare experts, and outside organizations like the Alzheimer's Association. We are all in this fight together, and ending this disease will take time and a common focus on the task at hand. That's why we must continue to raise awareness of Alzheimer's and the promising efforts taking place to curb its growth, as well as increase support for patients and their caregivers. While the challenge of battling Alzheimer's is immense, the outpouring of support and dedicated activism for this crucial cause gives me hope that we can one day effectively treat—and eventually cure—this devastating disease. .Here's how we got here: The hold harmless provision was triggered nationally in 2016 when the Social Security Administration announced that there would be no COLA payable, due to a drop in inflation. Barbara's Medicare Part B premium stayed the same as it was the year before, at 4.90, even though Medicare Part B premiums in 2016 jumped to 1.80 for about 30% of beneficiaries, such as new enrollees who were not protected by the hold harmless provision. .How can I get involved/help out? .Manufacturers have traditionally claimed that only the lure of windfall profits would encourage them to take the necessary risks, since drug development is expensive and there's no way of knowing whether they're putting their money on a horse that will finish first, or scratch. .The report found similar price disparities in expensive specialty drugs that treat complicated conditions like cancer. .This week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) revealed that it has been overpaying almost half of all Disability Insurance (DI) enrollees, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw one key bill gain critical support.