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TSCL is urging older Americans to fight back. "We encourage you to send email, postcards, or call Members of Congress to let them know that COLA cuts are not to be used to finance a border wall with Mexico, or as a bargaining chip for reducing the federal debt," says TSCL Executive Director, Shannon Benton..That said, roughly 30 percent of beneficiaries are not protected by the provision, and they can be subject to substantial spikes in the Part B premiums. In the past, the costs of the unpaid portion of Medicare Part B premiums of those who were protected by hold harmless were shifted to those who were not protected by the provision. Because fewer people were covering the costs Medicare Part B premiums, increases were significantly higher than usual..The recent battle in Congress over lifting the debt limit contained mostly good news and some not so good news, for disabled and retired Americans. The legislation rolled back an unprecedented 52% spike in Medicare Part B premiums due to affect about 15.6 million Medicare recipients, and it prevented a 19% cut in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits due to occur later this year. But the legislation contained no Cost-of-Living Adjustment relief for 2016, and closed off one of the few claiming strategies that some Americans have to boost their Social Security payouts..Several expert witnesses such as Mr. Sanket Shah, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, emphasized the role that data analytics can have in proactively identifying patients who may be at risk for ​opioid addiction. Ranking Member Patty Murray said, "Data has to be easy to use, but hard to misuse," in reference to the concern that patient privacy also must be protected..There are special rules that allow you to delay sign up for Medicare Part B when you receive healthcare benefits through work. You need to satisfy these three requirements:.Access to the plans is highly variable. While some areas of the country have dozens of Medicare Advantage plans, rural counties often have very limited choices, or as little as just one insurer. Frequently, older and sicker enrollees discover that Medicare Advantage plan out-of-pocket spending due to chronic health conditions, or a hospitalization can be much higher than with a Medigap plan. Medigap supplements cover most, or even all, out of pocket costs..This week, lawmakers in the Senate voted on three health reform bills that would have repealed and replaced parts of the ACA if enacted. All three of the bills the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Obamacare Repeal and Reconciliation Act, and the Health Care Freedom Act better known as the "skinny repeal" bill failed to win passage on the Senate floor..Why is it so Hard to Lower Prescription Drug Prices?.To help protect the buying power of benefits, TSCL supports legislation that would base COLAs on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly.