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What do you think about proposals to cut Social Security or Medicare benefits? Visit to participate in TSCL's annual Senior Survey..The standard monthly Medicare Part B premium, which covers doctors and outpatient services, will increase by .10 from 5.50 in 2019, to 4.60 in 2020. At the same time, the COLA will increase an average Social Security benefit of ,460 by only .40. After deduction for the Part B premium, that would leave just .30 per month for someone with average benefits to cover all other rising costs, including other rising Medicare premiums for prescription drugs or supplemental coverage..By: Jessie Gibbons, Legislative Analyst.Call your drug plan to ask about the coverage of the new generic and the expected co-pay. Be forewarned: according to Consumer Reports magazine, some Medicare drug plans charge lower co-payments for the branded version than for its generic counterpart. That has to do with agreements between insurers and pharmaceutical companies that make it seem like the name brand is the better deal..But in the meantime, beware of scams and identity theft attempts. Scammers are taking advantage of the confusion created by the transition, and reports of Medicare card scams are rampant. The two most important things to know: Medicare will not call or contact you for "information about your account," and the new card will not cost you anything.."Medicare And The Federal Budget, Comparison of Medicare Provisions," Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2013..To learn more about important issues affecting seniors, to sign a petition to Congress, or to find contact information or your Members of Congress, please visit the ACTION CENTER of our website..and inexpensive generics but she suffered from extreme fatigue and depression..The Lower Drug Costs Now Act contains additional provisions to combat relentless prices increases. For example, the bill would expand Medicare Part D benefits to include dental, vision, and hearing coverage. And it would establish a new ,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, because American seniors shouldn't be subjected to unfair price hikes on lifesaving medications - especially when other industrialized countries are paying lower prices for identical drugs.