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If signed into law, the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act would repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and set up a five-year trial period during which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would test and evaluate new payment and delivery models. It would prevent scheduled pay cuts to physicians who treat Medicare patients, and it would stabilize reimbursements throughout the trial period..To qualify, you must meet your state's income and asset guidelines. You may qualify if your income in 2012 was at or below the income and resource limits listed below..For information on upcoming town hall meetings, click HERE. For updates on the progress of the BCRA in the coming days, follow TSCL on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website..A recent report by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services has also found that high price drugs are affecting federal spending on drugs and increasing federal payments for Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage. Once people hit the catastrophic level of Part D coverage, beneficiaries pay a 5% coinsurance for drugs while the Federal Government pays the vast majority of the remaining costs. But there is no limit. The Inspector General's report said that federal payments for catastrophic coverage in 2015 exceeded .2 billion in 2015, which is more than triple the amount paid in 20Incredibly, only ten high-priced drugs accounted for nearly one-third of all drug spending in catastrophic coverage in 2015..Congress May Consider Ending Two Provisions That Reduce Social Security Benefits of Public Employees.On Wednesday and Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a two-part hearing to address bipartisan concerns about stabilizing the ACA's individual market, which insures around 18 million Americans many of whom are young retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare. In his opening statement, Chairman Lamar Alexander said he believes the best way to stabilize the marketplace, decrease premiums, and make certain that health insurance is available in every county would be to continue cost sharing reduction payments and increase the Section 1332 state waiver program..This week, the Social Security Administration announced that beneficiaries will receive a 0.3 percent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment in 201In addition, the congressional recess continued for lawmakers in the House and Senate..At what age do you think most people retire? According to the Social Security Administration, the largest group retires at age 62 with reduced benefits! Only 4% wait to start benefits at 70, the age at which they would get the maximum amount. Could the fact that most people file for Social Security benefits so early be simply because they hear so often that they can do so at 62? Does 62 become a distorting anchor on our thinking?.New Concern About Cuts to Medicare