Ranking Member Senator Murray and several witnesses on Wednesday including Tennessee Health Commissioner Julie McPeak and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and Human Services Theresa Miller agreed that CSR payments are critical to improving the marketplace and that vulnerable populations must continue to receive the same level of coverage through state waiver programs..Medical: Medicare recently reported the lowest growth in healthcare costs on record based on spending through 20But that's not the case for seniors. In fact, since 2000, Medicare Part B costs rose as fast as the cost of gasoline. Seniors will receive notification this month of their Medicare Part B premium for 201It's also important to check your Part D drug coverage. Medicare Part D's infamous drug coverage gap, aka the "doughnut hole," is slowly closing a widely touted benefit of the 2010 healthcare law. Several Part D costs, like the "standard" deductible, and the out-of-pocket costs thresholds, will be lower in 201But for the first time since Part D started, the initial coverage amount, the amount all seniors use when they fill a prescription, will be less generous by 0. That means you may hit the doughnut hole coverage gap sooner..can try. You can check the coverage and full cost of the drug using the.Over the years, TSCL surveys indicate that older Americans overwhelmingly oppose totally replacing Medicare with a system of private insurance plans. On the other hand, the design of traditional Medicare alone has a considerably high level of out-of-pocket spending, and no annual out-of-pocket limit. That leaves an important role for private insurers to fill in the gap with Medigap supplements or Medicare Advantage plans..Fighting for legislation to lower the costs of prescription drugs is one of TSCL's very top priorities this year and we will keep you informed as things progress..Currently, 62 percent of Americans ages 65 and older suffer from multiple chronic conditions which require person-centered, coordinated care. Direct Care Workers, such as nursing assistants, home health aides, or personal care aides provide an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the paid, hands-on, long-term care and personal assistance received by older adults in the U.S. DCWs are not, however, often recognized as essential contributors to care teams. Few existing models provide DCWs with the advanced training necessary to take on increased responsibilities..Social Security Notch Reform Working towards benefit equality for older Americans..You are homebound. This means you are unable to leave home without considerable effort and you require help doing so..TSCL sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking for their support for a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA. Stated TSCL's Chairman Arthur Cooper, "Eighty-six percent of TSCL's members and supporters believe Congress must pass legislation tying the annual COLA to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. Doing so would more accurately base COLAs on the spending patterns of seniors instead of the spending patterns of young, urban workers, and would go a long way in improving the adequacy of Social Security benefits."
