Another issue known as "balance billing" arises when patients are billed the difference between what a doctor charges for a service and what an insurer is willing to pay for it..The coronavirus has caused a dramatic decline in home mortgage rates, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good time for everyone to refinance. The good news is that, in many areas of the country, lenders and states are making the process safer for your physical health. That said, refinancing in retirement is still a process that carries risk to your fiscal health..Incredibly, according to a legal opinion obtained by TSCL in 2009, Totalization with Mexico may give Mexican immigrants greater rights to U.S. Social Security benefits than U.S. senior citizens currently enjoy. The proposed U.S./Mexico Totalization Agreement would be based on a contractual promise made by the United States government for the benefit of individual Mexican workers who qualify for U.S. Social Security benefits under the terms of that agreement..Currently, Social Security COLAs are based on the CPI-W, which tracks the spending patterns of young, urban workers. This index underestimates the inflation that seniors experience since it fails to capture the medical and housing costs that many spend most of their incomes on. TSCL estimates that a CPI for seniors would put the annual COLA at two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the CPI-W. Over the course of a retirement, this would amount to several thousands of dollars more in Social Security benefits..However, TSCL does oppose two provisions that lawmakers included in the package to offset the cost of the 0 billion bill: one provision would increase Medicare Part B and Part D premiums for wealthier seniors, and the second one would create a new 0 deductible for supplemental Medigap plans. Both provisions will require seniors to pay more for their health care, and TSCL feels strongly that seniors should not be required to cover the cost of the poor policy-making decisions that were made by Congress nearly twenty years ago..You can also sign up to receive our monthly newsletter that includes tons of helpful information regarding current legislation and policy affecting you. The newsletter also features a "Congressional Corner," where various Representatives and Senators express their thoughts on issues important to seniors..If the Social Security Guarantee Act is signed into law, all eligible recipients will receive benefit guarantee certificates from the Secretary of the Treasury that would require the payment of full benefits. Additionally, the bill will adopt a measure of inflation that would make annual COLAs more fair and accurate, allowing older Americans to better keep up with rising costs..Refinancing a mortgage in retirement is a "special needs" situation. TSCL highly recommends that this should be discussed with an unbiased financial advisor.." The new Obama Administration policy is opening Social Security to as many as 1.2 million non-citizens who won't even have legal status, " Hyland says. This is occurring at the same time Congress and the President are debating major reforms that would cut the Social Security and Medicare benefits of U.S. senior citizens who paid into the system the legal way," he adds. TSCL supports the "No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act", introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher, which would ban the use of earnings for jobs worked while illegal to be used to determine entitlement.
