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So far critics of the program have not convinced CMS to pare down the size of the demonstrations and states winning approval will get the green light to start shifting patients into managed care plans starting next year..TSCL encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask questions of their elected officials about important Social Security and Medicare issues, like the following four….Rick Delaney, Chairman of the Board, TSCL.Omnibus Work Continues in Congress.The Senior Citizens League is pleased that lawmakers acted swiftly and responsibly to avert a government shutdown and an unprecedented default on the federal debt. Failing to do so could have resulted in delayed Social Security checks and reimbursements for health care providers who treat Medicare patients. Lawmakers now have until early December to negotiate a broader funding bill to keep the federal government operating. For progress updates, follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..I can't find the remote..Social Security's combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds will be fully funded until 2035 one year later than was projected in last year's report. At that point, if nothing is done by Congress, Social Security would still have the funds to pay out 80 percent of scheduled benefits using tax revenues alone. The Trustees also estimated that Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be fully funded until 2026, at which point the program would still be able to pay out almost 90 percent of scheduled benefits using tax revenues..Deductibles: This is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. Most people get CT scans as outpatients under Medicare Part B, which has a deductible of 3 in 2021, meaning you might be responsible for that amount. If your scan is part of a hospital stay as an inpatient, it would bill under Part A which has a deductible of ,48Because you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, your deductible amounts can vary from the standard Medicare amount. It's a good idea to call your health plan before getting any services, to get an idea about the cost. For people covered by a Medigap supplement, it will cover the Part A deductibles but, as of January 2020, insurers are no longer allowed to sell plans that cover the Part B deductible, Plans C and Plan F to new enrollees..This creates problems especially in emergency room visits when the patient may require pricey services such as those from an air ambulance, doctor or other provider that does not have a contract with the patient's Medicare Advantage plan. When health plans get such bills, they can reject the claim and patients wind up on the hook for the "balance bill." While the average emergency room visit is just above 0, some patients have received surprise bills greater than 0,000 from out-of-network providers.