Shopping for a new Medicare Plan? Watch out For This Overlooked Practice..President thinks about taking money from Social Security to pay for economic stimulus.While TSCL strongly agrees that the time has come for Congress to take action on Social Security and Medicare, we question whether rescue committees would work as desired. Over the past 25 years there have been numerous committees and commissions that developed contentious plans to change Social Security and Medicare. None have been successful in getting their plans adopted as major legislation..A ,000 per month budget for medical expenses is a staggering amount to consider. Retirees with the highest costs are not only those with multiple health conditions, but also frequently those who don't have access to employer provided health insurance benefits. This group also includes those who don't have access to competitively priced Medicare Advantage Plans, and therefore pay higher premium costs for Medigap and Part D plans..Because of your concerns in this regard, you will be pleased to learn of H.R. 1030, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 201This legislation would direct the Department of Labor to prepare and publish a monthly CPI for Elderly Consumers that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption that is typical for individuals 62 years or older. The bill would then amend current law to provide for the use of such new CPI in the computation of COLA increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits..Genetic testing is not routinely used by doctors to screen for cancer. Here's how the scam works - The "target" might receive automated phone calls, often multiple times a week, or may be approached in-person by a "recruiter." The recruiter, who may present herself as a "certified Medicare counselor," convinces the target to take a genetic test promising that Medicare pays the full cost. The patient, however, often never receives a report, or the report may be incomprehensible..TSCL also supports a second Notch Baby bill that Representative Emerson has introduced in the past - the Notch Baby Health Care Relief Act. That bill would provide a tax credit for the Part B premiums paid by Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926..The age at which one applies for Social Security is the single biggest financial decision most of us will ever make, but TSCL's 2017 Senior Survey suggests that the vast majority of people claiming Social Security aren't getting the help they need. When survey participants were asked if they had received counseling from the Social Security Administration about the best age to start benefits, 77% of survey participants said no, and 71% said that prior to starting benefits they were unaware of the total lifetime benefit income they could expect to receive..Dr. Redfield also told Congress this week that the CDC is developing a test that can check for seasonal influenza and COVID-19 infections at the same time.
