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The Senior Citizens League enthusiastically supports S. 974, and we will continue to advocate for its passage on Capitol Hill in the months ahead. For more information about this bill and others that have been backed by The Senior Citizens League, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. For frequent progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter..At the celebratory event, the President told his audience, "This got done because of you; because you called, you emailed, you tweeted your representatives and you demanded action. You made it clear that you wanted to see some common sense in Washington.".Two Bills Gain Cosponsors.Transportation services.By Jessie Gibbons, Senior Policy Analyst.If signed into law, the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act would repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and set up a five-year trial period during which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would test and evaluate new payment and delivery models. It would prevent scheduled pay cuts to physicians who treat Medicare patients, and it would stabilize reimbursements throughout the trial period..Nationwide, nearly 1.5 million people are affected by the WEP, meaning that those who receive a public pension from a job, and are not covered by Social Security, see their benefits reduced. For example, a teacher who spends summers working a second job, or a first responder who leaves the force after years of service, but is not yet ready to retire, can see his or her benefits reduced by up to 40 percent..On Wednesday, with a vote of 21-3, the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of advancing the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed as Secretary, Burwell will oversee the Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs, and she will also manage the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act..A growing number of Social Security recipients are affected by the tax, because the income thresholds are fixed, rather than adjusted annually, like income brackets. Because of this, the number of Social Security recipients who are hit by the tax has increased substantially over the years as incomes increased.

Medicaid Event Medicaid Matters For Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries

Emergency legislation passed earlier this year required health insurers, including those participating in Medicare, to cover both the coronavirus test, and associated care for COVID-19 without cost sharing. But it's becoming clear that patients may still be vulnerable to "surprise" medical bills for costs they thought would be covered. We hope that your dad is not another such case..TSCL opposes such plans since evidence shows they would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for most older Americans, and we will advocate against them as the administration attempts to build support. To stay updated on the latest Medicare reform news from Washington, visit the Legislative News section of our website..The concern is well justified. The Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has reported that Medicare Advantage plans deny care inappropriately at high rates. When the Office of the Inspector General collected data, it found that when beneficiaries and providers appealed pre-authorization and payment denials, Medicare Advantage Organizations over-turned 75% of their own denials over the 2014-2016 period. The OIG noted "This is especially concerning because beneficiaries and providers rarely use the appeals process, which is designed to ensure access to care and payment." Only 1 percent of beneficiaries and providers appealed denials. … Continued

Medicare Report The Latest On Geographic Variation In Medicare Spending A Demographic Divide Persists But Variation Has Narrowed

On Monday, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare programs released their annual reports on the current and projected financial status of the two programs. As expected, the Trustees found that both programs currently face significant but manageable financial challenges..During these meetings, the following issues were discussed: Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, Social Security Notch fairness, Social Security Totalization agreement reform, and repeal of both the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset. Support was expressed for many of these key issues, and TSCL looks forward to working with these offices in the future..Adding to the confusion, the program will affect beneficiaries differently depending on the area of the country in which they live, and how they are getting their supplies and durable medical equipment. Effective July 1, 2013, in most cases if you have "Original" Medicare coverage and get items in the new program areas, Medicare will only help pay for these items if they're provided by contract suppliers. … Continued