Newsroom New Health Isanti Clinic Opens March 1Higher Medigap costs: Experts say that beneficiaries with Medigap supplements tend to use more services than those without such coverage. Currently the plans often cover part or most of the deductibles and the co-insurance. Lawmakers from both parties propose requiring beneficiaries enrolled in Medigap plans to pay more through higher deductibles and co-payments. President Obama's 2014 budget plan called for imposing a new surcharge on beneficiaries who buy Medigap plans in 2017..The 2021 Part B increase comes at the same time beneficiaries are receiving one of the lowest COLAs ever paid. The annual inflation adjustment will increase the average Social Security benefit by only .00 per month. Because Medicare Part B premiums and out-of-pocket costs grow several times faster than the annual COLA, healthcare costs take a rapidly growing share of Social Security benefits in retirement. The situation can leave older households without adequate income and dwindling savings just a few years after retiring..A balanced budget amendment to the constitution, like the one that was considered this year, would prohibit the federal government from spending more than it collects in revenues each year. It's a budget gimmick that would essentially make it unconstitutional for Social Security and Medicare to use the trust fund reserves they currently have to pay out benefits, because it would prohibit "borrowing" even when new revenues are insufficient to pay out benefits. Additionally, the federal government would be prohibited from repaying the .7 trillion it currently owes to the Social Security trust funds. … Continued
State Category Hivaids Hiv Prevention Programs Related PoliciesThere's an old saying: "Laws are like sausages; it is better not to see them being made.".The Senior Citizens League supports legislation that would require a minimum COLA of no less than 3 percent, even in years when inflation falls below that amount. "Strengthening the COLA," Johnson says, "would help slow the drain of drain of retirement savings and help keep older Americans out of poverty." To learn more, visit..Compare your drug and health plan options during the Medicare Open Enrollment period October 15th - December 7th. Does your current drug plan cover expensive new prescriptions? If not, you need to check your other options. Chances are another plan will. Use the Drug and Health Plan Finder at. Make sure you carefully enter every prescription drug you take in order to get a custom comparison of your best drug plan choices. Costs can vary by hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, and you may be very surprised by the savings from switching to a better plan. You can get unbiased help to compare your coverage. Call your Area Agency on Aging and ask for the help of a State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor, or visit online. … Continued
