The high dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. It is associated with a stronger immune response following vaccination. Results from a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants showed that adults 65 years and older who received the high dose vaccine had 24% fewer influenza illnesses as compared to those who received the standard dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine has been approved for use in the United States since 200Learn more about high dose flu vaccine here..The letter was written in response to recent comments from Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who told reporters last week that he has been "actively discussing potential executive or administrative solutions" to the prescription drug issue with President Trump. The group of Senators said, "We write to express our support for such efforts that could provide immediate relief to Americans.".Unrealistic Cost-of-Living-Adjustments : COLAs are already inadequate: Seniors have lost almost one-third of their buying power since 2000, according to a recent TSCL study. In that period, COLAs increased just 31 percent, while typical senior expenses jumped 73 percent, more than twice as fast. There is talk of using a "chained" CPI to calculate COLAs. But the spending patterns assumed by the "chained" CPI don't apply as well to seniors, who spend a larger percentage of their income on necessities that aren't as conducive to substitution. Billed as a mere "technical correction," a TSCL analysis shows that using a "chained" CPI to calculate COLAs would in fact slash payments by more than ,000 over a 25-year retirement. Read more here and here..Please be aware that if the federal government shuts down on Tuesday, October 1st, your daily life should NOT be affected. Medicare will continue to operate, and your Social Security benefits will go out on time regardless of whether or not the federal government is running..CMS has also partnered with the Department of Justice to help to increase law enforcement efforts for Medicare fraud and abuse. In 2009, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team was established to provide a law enforcement arm to the government's effort to stem the tide of Medicare fraud and abuse perpetrators. The special task force combines authorities from local, state, and the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services agencies to increase communication and shared investigative techniques..Will current beneficiaries and those close to retirement - people age 55 and older - be protected from benefit cuts?.That is the bad news..A third option was introduced by Senator Rand Paul in June. His plan would repeal the SGR and base payments on the same formula that is used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security benefits. It would cap annual pay increases for providers at three percent, allowing physicians to practice without the threat of annual reimbursement cuts..On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees hosted a successful breakfast reception for all Members of the 113th Congress and their staff, along with Shannon Benton, former Congressman David Funderburk and Mrs. Betty Funderburk, and TSCL's staff. More than 125 Members of Congress and/or staff were in attendance, and we were pleased to have the chance to speak with them about the issues that matter most to TSCL's members and supporters. We especially want to thank Rep. Nick Rahall, who has been a regular attendee at TSCL's receptions.
