Poll finding mental health impact of the covid 19 pandemic

Two Bills Gain Support.The problem is well known, but so far Congress has taken no action to address it. The Medicare Trustees have for years described in their annual report how rising Medicare costs will take an ever-growing portion of Social Security benefits. They estimate that Medicare Part B and Part D premiums, as well as cost sharing for both programs, currently equals just 24 percent of the level of the average Social Security benefit. But that estimate does not include many of the typical Medicare costs that most retirees actually have, and thus understates the scope of the problem. The findings based on your participation in TSCL's annual Senior Survey is proof of that..What you can do: Send a letter, email or fax to your Senators and Representative..The legislation prevents a 19% Social Security disability benefit cut by a short-term reallocation of payroll tax revenue in 2016 through 201This would be sufficient to pay benefits until 2022 and would not affect the 2034 depletion date of the Social Security retirement trust fund, according to Social Security's Chief Actuary..Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle at Wednesday's hearing expressed their strong interest in addressing the growing DI backlog. In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson said: "Today, over one million people are waiting for a hearing with a Social Security Administrative Law Judge, and on average these folks will wait around 600 days to get that hearing. That's nearly two years!" He continued, saying: "While not all of them will qualify for DI benefits, all of these people deserve an answer in a timely fashion. And for those who don't qualify for benefits, these long wait times make getting back to work even harder.".The groups that have begun lobbying the administration include large hospital systems and health insurers, major trade associations, air ambulance companies and private equity-backed physician staffing firms..TSCL is working with Members of Congress to enact legislation that would lower Medicare costs, including the elimination of "surprise medical bills" from out-of-network providers, and is working to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can continue to receive their Medicare benefits through the Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan of their choice..This may not be true once Members of Congress start purchasing insurance though the exchanges in 201In 2014 the exchanges will offer health insurance to individuals who don't get coverage through their employers, and, to small businesses. Large employers aren't scheduled to offer insurance to their employees through the exchanges until 2017, so it remains uncertain whether the exchanges would be ready to accept federal government's contributions towards premiums next year..Social Security Subcommittee Discusses DI Program

Education U S Student Performance On Pisa What Legislators Need To Know
Despite the coronavirus emergency, TSCL is continuing its fight for you to protect your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. We have had to make some adjustments in the way we carry on our work, but we have not, and will not stop our work on your behalf..If signed into law, H.R. 4012 would provide Social Security beneficiaries and retired military members with a 3.9 percent COLA in 2016, which would amount to around 1 for the average beneficiary. It would offset the cost of the emergency COLA and extend the life of the Social Security Trust Funds by closing tax loopholes for corporate executives..The Obama Administration along with many private corporations like Hewlett-Packard and Walgreens announced several other new projects that will aim to improve the lives of seniors at Monday's conference. For more information, check out the White House's Fact Sheet that summarizes each one. … Continued

What I Wish I Knew
Even though all federal government buildings are now air conditioned, Congress has continued with that tradition..A letter to the editor of The Topeka Capital Journal describes one such case of Medicare's over-compensation problem. The writer said that after receiving a back brace for treatment of spinal stenosis, the local back therapy center billed Medicare ,300. Yet the writer found the same brace from the same manufacturer online for Medicare approved 4 for the brace. The writer said that when he contacted the Medicare fraud unit he was told that 4 was the correct Medicare - approved payment to providers for the brace and was told there was nothing Medicare could do about the over-pricing..New eligibility rules make it considerably easier for millions of applicants, including seniors under the age of 65, who are too young for Medicare, to qualify for the program. But older seniors continue to have much more restrictive and stringent asset and savings tests to satisfy before they qualify for Medicaid, because the new rules don't apply to seniors age 65 and older. This sets up inequities in benefits between seniors like Notch Babies who are in their late 80s and 90s and who are more likely to be receiving long-term care, and other people younger than 65 who will benefit from the less stringent Medicaid qualification rules. … Continued

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