2020 Census Whats At Stake For States Oas Episode 60The amount of money that the federal government owes to its creditors - including the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds - is now estimated to be as big as the entire U.S. economy. Economists warn that the situation can't continue without causing more economic crisis..We must provide the basic benefits that our seniors count on, regardless of the ups and downs of the economy. In addition to my legislative proposal, I co-sponsored Congressman Earl Pomeroy's Seniors Protection Act, which would have provided a 0 payment to help beneficiaries cover rising costs of Medicare, prescription drugs, and other necessaries. Unfortunately, despite the President already budgeting for it, the House of Representatives did not enact this one-time payment to seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who receive Social Security to help them make ends meet during this tough time. This payment would have assisted those 54 million vulnerable individuals nationwide. However, this would have been just a short - term solution to the lack of COLA. I will continue to fight to make sure that Congress passes a long-term solution to the manner in which the COLA is calculated..With Medicare and other insurers scrambling to control costs, "observation stays" in the hospital have become a loophole that could leave you footing the bill for thousands in uncovered costs. Your hospital status - whether you are an inpatient or an outpatient - makes a huge difference in how much you will have to pay for hospital services like X-rays, drugs and lab tests. But figuring out whether you are an inpatient or outpatient, believe it or not, isn't always clear. … Continued
Anti Vaxxers Among Top Threats To Global Health Who SaysSudden price spikes in older drugs are putting patients at risk of going without vital medicine. A new report by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging uncovered an insidious business model that's leading to monopoly pricing power and astronomical price increases..In addition, one new cosponsor Senator Kamala Harris signed on to the Social Security Expansion Act from Senator Bernie Sanders. The cosponsor total is now at three in the Senate. If adopted, the bill would strengthen and expand the Social Security program by basing COLAs on the CPI-E, increasing monthly checks by per month, and improving the Special Minimum Benefit. It would cover the cost of these changes and strengthen the solvency of the trust fund by applying the payroll tax to income over 0,000 and applying a 6.2 percent tax on investment income for wealthy individuals..However, for many retirees age 65 and up, most or even all their COLA was offset by rising Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs. A recent survey conducted by TSCL found that 48 percent of survey participants reported that, after the deduction for just the Part B premium, their COLA increased their Social Security benefit by less than Another 6 percent of survey respondents reported no increase to their net benefits at all. … Continued