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In 2006, Johnson first forecast that the hold-harmless provision - which at the time was virtually unknown by the public - would begin to be triggered more often by the year 2012, due to rapid growth in Medicare Part B premiums and weak growth in COLAs. Indeed that provision was first triggered on a nation-wide basis in 2010, and triggered again in 2011, when inflation was too low for a COLA to be payable, and the Medicare Part B premium subsequently soared..TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 1030, H.R. 1795, and H.R. 1179, and we were pleased to see support grow for each one this week..Several provisions within the H-CARE act include; increasing payments to Rural Health Clinics, authorizing to million annually for grants to rural providers to help with the cost of implementing health information technology, requiring prompt payment to rural pharmacies by Medicare prescription drug plans and ensuring that rural Americans are appropriately represented on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission..There's no doubt Democratic lawmakers would like to do these things because they campaigned on them last year and this would be the last chance to pass them this year. Because next year is an election year it is very unlikely any significant progress would be made then..Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired..TSCL enthusiastically supports these measures since they would go a long way in increasing access to more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. However, President Obama's budget request does include one reform to the Medicare program that TSCL opposes. It would increase means testing by requiring middle-class Medicare beneficiaries to pay higher Part B and Part D premiums. TSCL believes means testing within the program has gone far enough with recent increases under the Affordable Care Act, and we know that middle-class seniors simply cannot afford to pay higher out-of-pocket Medicare costs..Then last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will make sure that a COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to all seniors at no cost once a vaccine is approved..Perhaps the greatest difference between the Republican and Democrats in Congress when it comes to legislation to lower prescription drug prices is whether the federal government should impose some kind of price control or regulation..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.