For Medical Professionals Patient EducationMembers of Congress reached a last-minute deal to avert the Fiscal Cliff on Tuesday, temporarily preventing a combination of tax increases and automatic spending cuts from going into effect. In addition, Thursday, January 3rd marked the first day of the 113th Congress..The prospects for an adequate Cost-of-Living Adjustment boost for 2013 are dimming. The rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is decelerating at the fastest pace in three years. A low COLA would leave the seniors, especially those with the lowest Social Security benefits, with less money to cover Medicare premiums that are automatically deducted from monthly payments.."The government now finds itself trying to figure out how to satisfy patients who desperately need help, even though scientists think this particular treatment lacks strong evidence for its effectiveness and policy experts warn it is setting up a budgetary nightmare for Medicare in the future." … Continued
Racial Equity And Health Policy Issue Brief Covid 19 Cases And Deaths By Race Ethnicity Current Data And Changes Over TimeBurwell will begin her work as HHS Secretary in the coming days, and TSCL will keep a close eye on her work since it could have major impacts on the Social Security and Medicare programs. TSCL is pleased that Burwell has already committed to working with Congress to repeal and replace the flawed sustainable growth rate formula later this year. However, she has also expressed her support for increased means testing within the Medicare program a proposal that TSCL is opposed to due to potential unintended consequences. For updates on HHS actions affecting senior citizens, visit the Legislative News section of our website..plans with similar coverage caps or the maximum amount that the plans will pay..TSCL's report contains one of the only up-to-date compilations of Social Security's Earnings Suspense File data, based on government documents, and updated with the most recent Social Security Administration data annually. The data indicate that in the years immediately following the 1986 immigration amnesty, the Earnings Suspense File grew at an unprecedented pace. From 2000 to 2011 the number of mismatched wage reports doubled, jumping from 52 million reported from 1990 to 1999 to 109.7 million from 2000 to 201In addition, the amount of average annual wages represented by the reports has also grown considerably since the 1990s - about 60%, after adjusting for inflation. … Continued