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Senate Returns to Washington.Starting a new medication can sometimes take you by surprise when drug plans don't cover the drug or charge higher co-pays than you can afford. If you're having trouble covering the cost of your medicine, here are some things to try:.However, for many retirees age 65 and up, most or even all their COLA was offset by rising Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs. A recent survey conducted by TSCL found that 48 percent of survey participants reported that, after the deduction for just the Part B premium, their COLA increased their Social Security benefit by less than Another 6 percent of survey respondents reported no increase to their net benefits at all..For more information about town hall meetings near you during next week's recess, click HERE. You can also call the local offices of your Members of Congress to request information about upcoming town halls. For contact information, click HERE..Investing in an advanced aide role for DWCs will not only lead to less institutionalization and fewer re-hospitalizations, but will improve quality of life for seniors and reduce costs, reducing the overall burden on the health care industry. Seniors deserve to stay in their homes as they age, enjoy a high quality of life, all while receiving high quality, cost-effective care. The Advanced Aide Act will ensure that this is attainable..The high dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. It is associated with a stronger immune response following vaccination. Results from a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants showed that adults 65 years and older who received the high dose vaccine had 24% fewer influenza illnesses as compared to those who received the standard dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine has been approved for use in the United States since 200Learn more about high dose flu vaccine here..Administration Making Efforts To Rein In Medicare Fraud."There appears to be a broad agreement on the types of healthcare policies that should be in the package, like closing the Medicaid coverage gap and adding dental and vision benefits to Medicare, but details are still being ironed out by committee staff and congressional offices and nothing is certain.".-- in particular - Social Security benefits. The 3.6% COLA is the first after two years without any increase. "Here's the bottom line," says Larry Hyland, Chairman of TSCL. "Is your Social Security benefit higher or lower in 2012 after deducting your Medicare premiums?"

Medicaid Report Medicaid And Chip Eligibility And Enrollment Policies As Of January 2021 Findings From A 50 State Survey

Next week on January 24th the Senate Finance Committee will be holding a formal confirmation hearing to question Congressman Price. TSCL will be monitoring discussions about the ACA and the future of the Medicare program, and we will post a summary of the hearing here in the Legislation News section of our website..The age at which individuals become eligible for full, un-reduced Social Security benefits is rising. Your full retirement age is based on the year when you were born and, for people born in 1960 and later, the full retirement age is 6The earliest age at which you can claim a retirement benefit is 6However, claiming benefits prior to your full retirement age comes with expensive trade-offs. It's unlikely to be your best choice if your aim is to maximize your retirement income over the long haul..Now.Backdoor Medicare Cut Could Raise Your Out-of-Pocket Costs A new Medicare cost-saving rule that was launched late in 2020 will cut payments to hospitals for some surgical procedures and could potentially raise costs for Medicare recipients. According to an article by Susan Jaffe, of Kaiser Health News, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has for years classified 1,740 surgeries and other.Q June 2021 I'm turning 65 later this year. I currently receive my healthcare insurance through my wife's employer. How does Medicare work with this insurance? May I delay enrolling in Medicare? … Continued

Health Reform Event Webinar For Journalists Womens Health Under The Affordable Care Act

For tips on which questions you should ask your Member of Congress at your next town hall meeting, click HERE. To learn more about important issues affecting seniors, to sign a petition to Congress, or to find contact information for your Members of Congress, please visit the ACTION CENTER of our website.."Protecting the integrity of the Social Security program for current and future retirees is critical to our members and supporters," Hyland said. "As such, TSCL salutes you for introducing an amendment to S. 744 that would prohibit unauthorized workers from receiving Social Security benefits based on work completed illegally, with stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers… we believe your amendment would improve the program's long-term solvency and prevent an unspecified and unnecessary strain on the Trust Fund.".Under a restricted application, however, you could take just one or the other of the two benefits at 66, and then allow the other benefit to grow at 8% per year, until age 70. For example, depending on how much your own retirement benefit would be, you might file a restricted application for your own retirement benefit, and then let your larger spouse benefit grow to the maximum, switching to it at age 70. Or, if by allowing your own retirement benefit to grow would yield a higher benefit, you could instead file a restricted application for just the ex- spouse benefit at 66, and then switch to your own higher benefit at age 70. You will need professional help to make this determination. The extra money you receive using this strategy accumulates over a typical retirement, and can mean a significantly higher benefit when you are older and need it the most. … Continued