News

My doctor prescribed a new drug but, when I tried to fill it the first time, I learned that my drug plan does not cover it. The drug cost close to 0 dollars and I could not afford that! What can I do?.Those people include Barbara B. - a retired home healthcare aide who lives in the Indianapolis area. "We're due for the increase," she says. But rising Part B premiums will likely take her entire COLA, leaving her with no increase at all in her net operating Social Security benefit again in 2018..It's not perfect - we still have a year to go before implementation starts. However, starting in 2022, consumers will no longer receive surprise or "balance bills" when they are unknowingly treated by out-of-network providers. Patients will pay only the deductible and copayment amounts they ordinarily would under the in-network terms of their insurance plans. Medical providers will not be allowed to hold patients responsible for difference between the amount they get and the higher fees they would like to charge. Instead providers will have to work that out with insurers..The Velcro effect of anchoring can influence far more consequential decisions, in ways we may not even realize. Consider the process of determining the "right" retirement age:.How to Hold That Thought.TSCL's annual Senior Survey asks how much you spend per month on all healthcare costs. Participants are asked to include not only premiums for Medicare Part B, and Part D as well as out of pocket costs for each, but also premiums for Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans, as well as all out-of-pocket spending on doctor visits and services, as well as dental and optical exams, glasses and hearing aids.."Federal Cost of Living Adjustment Will Affect SNAP And Other Benefits Received Through DCFS, December 21, 2020..You receive a call that instructs you to press a number on your telephone keypad to learn how you can receive a Medicare-covered back brace. A live agent comes on the line and asks for your personal information, including your name and Medicare number to determine if you are eligible. Fraudulent suppliers and providers steal your information and use your Medicare number to submit phony claims to Medicare, even if you never order a thing..Divide family size-packages into single servings: You can't afford to buy big packages every week, but with careful planning you might be able to buy one big package of something once a month and get enough portions to feed you for two months. Soon after purchasing divide your family pack into smaller individual portions and freeze or store appropriately. Hint: Use a good cling film and wrap individual portions. Freeze in reusable zipper bags. Mark with contents and date.

Education 2018 Preschool 3rd Grade Education Legislation Tracker

Companion, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Senator Susan Collins of Maine. I'm incredibly thankful for their leadership on this issue in the Senate and I hope our bill is brought to a vote there soon, so it can head to the President's desk..Around 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are also enrolled in Medicaid and receive help from the program to cover long-term nursing home stays. The BCRA would cut Medicaid by more than 0 billion and cap federal spending on the program. How will you ensure access to nursing home care, and can you guarantee that older Americans will not be forced out of skilled nursing facilities due to funding cuts?.The system, however, isn't estimated to be able to pay scheduled benefits in full for that long. The Social Security Trustees estimate that the Trust Funds will become fully insolvent by the end of 203When Trustees use the term insolvent that means the point at which all the extra revenues that were borrowed, now totaling more than .6 trillion, have run out, and there are no more IOUs held by the Trust Fund. Some people believe that, when the Trust Funds are exhausted, Social Security will be completely unable to pay benefits. But that's not the case. … Continued

Blog Cultivating Credibility Lessons From Journalism

Social Security benefit "boost" legislation under consideration in the House not only would boost benefits by about per month on average, it also includes a provision that would allow senior taxpayers to keep more of their money. Under current law, up to 50% of Social Security benefits are taxable when the sum of the recipients' modified adjusted gross income, plus half of Social Security benefits, exceeds ,000 for a couple filing jointly, or ,000 for a single taxpayer. As much as 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxable when the income is above ,000 for joint filers, or ,000 single filers. Revenues from the taxation of Social Security benefits flow to the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds, and go towards the financing of benefits..Ideally the Obama Administration should have the capacity to update consumers' subsidy information. But by late summer, they had not yet gotten that part of the system built. Even if you were to receive the same amount of premium subsidy that you received this year, that's likely to cause you problems. Here's why:.Are you making the most of your money? A new online website and tool, EconomicCheckUp®, can help you get a better understanding of your financial situation and find personalized, appropriate solutions to save money. You can use it to find work, learn to better manage your budget and explore options to reduce debt, or to explore options to use home equity. … Continued