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Social Security coverage to persons who have not worked long enough under the system to draw benefits on their own account is of major significance in the debate to allow individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes into private retirement accounts. As proposed, private Social Security retirement accounts would unlikely be able to provide the extent of coverage the current program now offers..Second, one new cosponsor Representative Sean Patrick Maloney signed on to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, bringing the total up to twenty. This bill, if adopted, would reduce prescription drug prices for older Americans by requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered Medicare Part D drug prices on behalf of beneficiaries..Practice using the tool: Have your Medicare number, information about your current coverage, and a complete list of prescription drugs, including dosages and the number you need per month at hand. The Plan Finder will ask you to provide information including your zip code, current Medicare coverage, the drugs you take, the pharmacies you plan to use, and whether you want to see just Part D stand alone plans or Medicare Advantage plans or both. For meaningful results accurately enter all your prescriptions. When complete get your Drug List ID number, print it out and save it. You don't want to enter it again every time you revisit the Plan Finder and invariably you will..two separate apartments, consider renting a portion of your home, or following a.Another major piece of legislation that Congress is working on, one which has been passed and been signed into law by whomever has been President for the past 59 years, is the National Defense Authorization Act. As we explained last week, that's the annual bill that authorizes the pay for members of the U.S. military as well as other important issues dealing with the Department of Defense..Our legislative team will keep a close eye on the legislation as it is implemented in the coming months, and we will continue to advocate for policies that would reduce health care costs for Medicare beneficiaries. For updates on our progress, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow our new page on Facebook..The U.S. currently has 21 Social Security Totalization Agreements in effect with other nations. The agreements allow workers who split their careers working in two countries to avoid double taxation on the same work. In addition, workers are allowed to combine earnings from both countries in order to qualify for Social Security benefits under one or both systems. The agreement with Mexico presumably would have a very different impact, however, for a number of reasons, including the fact that no other totalization agreement is with a country where so many of its citizens are living and working in our country illegally..According to a report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging released this year, older Americans lose approximately billion each year to financial scams and abuse. It's appalling. It's offensive. It's unacceptable. And I'm working to do something about it..Caregiver support: You and others helping with your mom can get caregiver training and information about respite care.