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TSCL will be letting Congressional leaders know of our opposition to a payroll tax cut and we will continue to advocate both in opposition to any payroll tax cut, and also for a fairer and more accurate way of calculating what the COLA should be each year..Payments for smoking cessation programs..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..Forty-one million Americans participate in Part D. Medicare should be able to negotiate drug prices on their behalf just as the VA and private insurers do. Doing so would have the potential to lower drug costs for Part D participants and save Medicare money. For these reasons, I've introduced multiple bills to end Medicare's ban on price negotiation, and have urged President Trump not to renege on his campaign pledges supporting this..However, what the CBO report apparently does not point out is that major corporations in this country pay no taxes at all. That is happening because of the way the laws are written..The plan released this week is not expected to be adopted or even to win any bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. However, it does mark the start of the fiscal 2016 budget negotiations, and it lays out the line-by-line needs of the federal agencies for appropriators. Soon, the House and Senate Budget Committees will release their own spending blueprints for fiscal 2016, and TSCL expects to see proposals that would dramatically alter the Social Security and Medicare programs. We will keep a close eye on the negotiations as they evolve, and will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website..The big dental expense is when you need more extensive work like crowns or root canals. Yet dental insurance often comes with waiting periods and won't cover fillings for the first six months of a policy and may not offer coverage for other procedures for up to 18 months. Many plans also have very low annual caps on care of ,000, meaning that once your dental bills exceed that amount you pay the rest of the bills in full..In a way that's not news. You already knew prices had been going up and so did we at TSCL. But it's nice to have the facts to back us up..Where Can We Find Help For Questions About Health Emergencies and Financing Nursing Homes?

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It sounds like you are very fortunate. Under Medicare, your Part D prescription drug initial coverage limit is just ,3At the price of Humira you would hit the Part D doughnut hole or coverage gap the second time you filled your prescription. According to the Medicare's drug plan software, your estimated lowest cost for a full year, including your drug plan premium, would be in the vicinity of ,036..Medicare remains a target of budget cuts in Washington as political leaders and other policy makers consider potential changes to the program. How much do you know about Medicare, the people it serves, the benefits it covers, and its financial status?.According to TSCL's 2017 Senior Survey, 8% of survey respondents said that their benefits have been withheld by Social Security due to excess earnings. Unless you have a terminal illness and are not expected to live very long, we strongly recommend that you consider delaying the start of your Social Security benefit until you are 66 or older when you will be eligible for the full, unreduced amount. To get the maximum, consider working until age 70 if you can. Your benefit will grow by 8% per year if you do. … Continued

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Unfortunately, many Subcommittee Members seemed to agree with Rep. Burgess, who plans to introduce legislation that would provide a one-year pay patch for Medicare physicians. TSCL hopes that Congress will continue to work toward a permanent solution, and we will continue to monitor the SGR discussion in the coming months..Refinance and renovate. If you find your current mortgage payment is too high, refinancing to get either a lower monthly payment or to take cash out may be an option. Before you refinance, have a long–term repayment plan, a budget, and you may want to discuss your needs with an independent financial advisor. If you are refinancing to renovate an older home, think long and hard about how much longer you plan to stay in your home, and how well your current housing will serve you as your health changes. Get bids from contractors, and be sure to include costs for new appliances, carpets, and fixtures. Will you have sufficient income and savings to cover a mortgage payment and still have money for repairs and maintenance ten or twenty years from now? Can you recover your renovation investment if you have to move and sell sooner than you planned? Take time to shop and carefully compare terms on loans - don't be hurried into making a decision. Loan officers always push you to "lock in a rate." Always ask for a "good faith" estimate and an estimate of the closing costs..I set the glasses back down on the window ledge, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. … Continued