An individual's earnings are the basis for how the Social Security Administration calculates the initial retirement benefit. The benefit formula uses the 35 years of highest earnings to determine the average monthly wage. Low earnings and years of no earnings in one's earnings record, decreases the average monthly wage used to determine the monthly benefit. Initial benefits are pulled down with it. To boost benefits, some women today are working much longer than they anticipated to fill those gaps in their earnings records..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..Flu vaccination has many benefits. It has been shown to reduce flu illnesses and also to reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes that can result in hospitalization or even death in older people. Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick..Seniors and the Cost of a Coronavirus Vaccine When it is Available.Medicare is trying to nudge people towards using less expensive older drugs, as this story describes. Most of us jump at the chance to lower our drug costs whenever we can, but sometimes the alternative may not work as well. If this happens to you, I strongly suggest that you take the letter from Medicare and show it to your doctor. I'm willing to bet your doctor won't be pleased to see Medicare "prescribing" other drugs for his or her patients..Last week Politico.com reported that major legislation meant to lower prescription drug prices has run into unexpected trouble in the House of Representatives..Someone calls or visits asking for your address or Social Security Number and reads incorrect information that they claim to have for you. This is the typical way in which scammers attempt to bait you into supplying information they want, which includes your address, email address, or Social Security number. Don't take the bait. Never give out your Social Security number to anyone who calls you on the phone or knocks on your door..Last week, most seemed doubtful that Members of Congress would successfully reach an agreement before the looming deadline due to demands from some lawmakers to attach hundreds of controversial policy riders to the package. However, this week, many are reporting that appropriators have narrowed down the list of policy riders to a more manageable number, and leaders in Congress seem surprisingly optimistic about the prospects of the massive omnibus..To even meet the statutory test of disability, the disabled worker must be unable to work or engage in any "substantial gainful activity." To qualify, disabled workers must have worked in the past, and be unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last more than one year or result in death.

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Surprise! Effort to End Surprise Billing Still Alive.Medicare is currently prohibited from covering most hearing, vision, and dental services, even though millions of seniors are afflicted with age-related hearing loss, low vision, and poor oral health. When left untreated, these conditions often result in serious injuries and complications. What do you feel should be done about this?.Call Social Security at for more information about your Medicare eligibility and to sign up for Part A and/or Part B. You can also apply at /retirement. You can get free personalized heath insurance counseling from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Many of these programs operate through area agencies on aging. Check your local phone book or call the Eldercare Locator to find help in your community. … Continued

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If signed into law, the CPI-E Act would amend the Social Security Act with regard to annual cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Currently, the COLA is based upon the spending patterns of young, urban workers, but Rep. DeFazio's bill would require that COLAs be based upon the way seniors spend their money. The COLA that seniors currently receive does not accurately reflect how they must spend their money, and TSCL estimates that a senior who retired with average benefits in 1984 would have received ,723.16 more through 2011 had the CPI-E been used. We are very supportive of Rep. DeFazio's bill, and we were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on this week..Sixteen major brand name drugs are going generic this year and another 25 are in the generic pipeline for 201Generic drugs can provide a savings of about 30-80% on the cost of your prescription when compared to brand pricing. But it could take up to a year or more before you and your health plan see substantial savings..The 2020 Medicare Trustees report recently estimated that the Hospital Insurance Trust fund will become depleted in six more years - 202"But the high level of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus for seriously ill Medicare patients may shorten the life expectancy of the Medicare Trust Fund," Johnson says. … Continued

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