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Medicare pays nothing at all for long-term care, and provides only.This week, Congressmen Rodney Davis and Adam Schiff re-introduced the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act with sixty-one original cosponsors. If signed into law, the bill would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision two provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of public servants by as much as 40 percent..Can You Live On Social Security Alone?.It is possible there could also be another emergency spending bill or, as we reported above, even a full-blown stimulus to try and keep the economy going..In most years, seniors receive a small increase in their Social Security checks, intended to help them keep up with rising costs. But since 2000, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment has increased benefits just 38 percent while typical senior expenses have jumped 81 percent, more than twice as fast. Inflation has been at historic lows in recent years and seniors received a 1.7 percent COLA this year..Are benefit cuts inevitable when Social Security's financing runs low in a few years? Your participation in this November's presidential election will play a critical role in how this question will be answered..You receive a call that instructs you to press a number on your telephone keypad to learn how you can receive a Medicare-covered back brace. A live agent comes on the line and asks for your personal information, including your name and Medicare number to determine if you are eligible. Fraudulent suppliers and providers steal your information and use your Medicare number to submit phony claims to Medicare, even if you never order a thing..As to the details of how healthcare reform will affect you and your husband, stay tuned. Government officials and community organizations are gearing up for consumer information and assistance efforts that will surround this fall's open enrollment period starting in October. A major poll conducted earlier this year indicates that much of the public remains confused about the status of the health law. Check coming issues of The Social Security and Medicare Advisor for how the new healthcare law will affect seniors younger than Medicare age..Ask for an adjustment and get your money back. To establish the appropriate charge for your mother's 2011 prescriptions, you will need to ensure that your mother's 2011 drug card information is correctly entered in the pharmacy's system. You will also want to have the following documents on hand: