Medicare report retiree health trends and implications of possible

Social Security is a promise that the federal government has made to its citizens. It is a promise on which millions of Americans rely on, and one that needs to be there for them when they retire. I am proud to sponsor H.R. 141, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in any capacity available, to ensure that we keep the promises we made to our public-sector employees..Find out if there are less costly options you can try: If you learn you are taking an expensive drug or one that's not covered by your drug plan, call your doctor to find out if there are generics or older, less expensive drugs that you could try. When trying out a new prescription ask your doctor for free samples, to allow time to determine whether it will treat your condition as effectively, and to monitor for potential negative side effects..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?.There is a warm can of soda sitting on the window ledge..Effective since 1977, the GPO prohibits retired spouses, widows, and widowers from receiving the full benefits based on his or her spouse's employment. The WEP was passed in 1983 and reduces the benefit of a retired or disabled worker who also receives a federal, state or local government annuity based on his or her earnings by up to 60 percent..According to the findings of a new report released by The Senior Citizens League, Social Security benefits have lost 34 percent of their buying power over the past eighteen years due to growing costs and inadequate cost-of-living adjustments. For every 0 a retired household spent in 2000, the same household can only buy around worth of goods and services today..In a letter to Congressman Jones, Ed Cates TSCL's Chairman wrote: "The Senior Citizens League lends its enthusiastic support and the support of its membership to the Social Security Guarantee Act … We salute you for introducing legislation that would make the Social Security program more fair and reliable, and we look forward to informing our members and supporters about your efforts.".Two Ways and Means Subcommittees held hearings on reforming Medicare and Social Security this week. On Tuesday, the Health Subcommittee heard from a panel of experts on Medicare reform, and on Thursday, the Social Security Subcommittee met to discuss potential changes to the program..A new study recently found that Social Security benefits have lost 34 percent of their purchasing power since 2000 due to rising costs and inadequate cost-of-living adjustments. Do you support the bipartisan CPI-E Act, which would make the COLA more fair and adequate?

Let S Talk About Voting Outside The Polling Place
If you start Social Security benefits too soon, prior to your full retirement age, your benefits may be withheld by as much as ,373.30 due to the earnings test. That's because no matter when you receive your wages in 2017, Social Security will assume that the full ,000 of your 2017 earnings occurred prior to November. Your earnings in excess of the ,880 would be ,000, less ,880 or ,120. Social Security will withhold in benefits for every in excess earnings. The ,120 is divided by 3 and ,373.30 will be withheld from your benefits starting the beginning of the following year..When comparing plans, beneficiaries are generally told to check premium costs, deductibles and other cost-sharing, whether the plan covers the drugs you actually take, provider networks, and added benefits, if any, not covered by Medicare. All of that is essential. But one key consideration that can be overlooked is how the plan uses prior authorization..can backfire, leaving you with bigger health problems and bills down the road. … Continued

Health Costs Poll Finding Chartpack Khpr Selected Findings On 2006 State
When You Can't Afford Your Prescription Drugs, Apply For "Extra Help".It they can't do that they will have to pass a longer CR which would take the funding issue well into January of next year and the new Congress will have to deal with it as its first order of business..Could the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment be more fairly adjusted to provide a fixed annual dollar amount? If the dollar amount of the increase were to be based on middle income, then low- and middle-income beneficiaries would be on more equal footing, and higher income beneficiaries would not be hurt any worse than we typically are anyway like this year with a 1.3% COLA! … Continued

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