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Medicaid, the state and federal program that provides healthcare for low-income Americans, is undergoing a massive expansion with the start of the Affordable Care Act. The fairness of that expansion for seniors is drawing closer scrutiny from TSCL..The unexpected change received no prior public debate, it went into effect almost immediately, and it hit seniors who were just months away from claiming benefits. In a poll recently conducted by TSCL, 70% of respondents said they viewed the change as an "unnecessary benefit cut" rather than a "closure of an unintended loophole," as portrayed by Congress..In fact, unlike the surtax on high earners, this 3.8% net investment tax was not even a specific provision of Affordable Care Act. It was a provision of a separate bill, the Health Care Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010 which was passed about two days after the Affordable Care Act. By setting up the revenues so that they would flow to the General Fund, Congress by-passed earmarking those revenues for the Medicare Part A or Part B Trust Fund. That also means that, when those revenues are used for other purposes, the Medicare Trust Funds are not earning any interest from the federal government for the use of those funds..And drug list prices continue to increase every year. As health insurers and employers pay more, they often pass those costs to consumers in the form of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments..TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 1030, H.R. 1795, and H.R. 1179, and we were pleased to see support grow for each one this week..They have already spent heavily on lobbying and are expected to soon intensify their efforts, and TSCL's concern is that the new protections could be watered down during the rulemaking process and leave consumers still vulnerable to unexpectedly large bills..Last summer's draught killed crops in almost 80% of the continental U.S. Higher wheat, corn and soybean prices are showing up in grocery receipts. Senior couples can expect higher food costs to add about 0 and more to their food bill this year..Find out if your drug plan offers mail order: If your drug plan offers mail order you can often significantly cut your costs by using it. Generally, mail order requires a 90- day prescription, but often your cost is the same as what you would pay for a 60-day supply from a retail pharmacy.."Illegal Immigrants Could Receive Social Security, Medicare Under Obama Action," Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post, November 25, 201"5 Facts About Illegal Immigration In The U.S.," Jens Manuel Krogstad, Pew Research Center, November 18, 2014

Medicaid Issue Brief Profiles Of Medicaid Outreach And Enrollment Strategies The Cook County Early Expansion Initiative
Half of the medications that saw price hikes followed price increases in 2019 and 2020, according to the report..Calling it an "economic imperative," President Obama continues to call for comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a path to legal status for illegal immigrants. A day after the President outlined his plan in a speech on the border with Mexico, immigration reform legislation known as the "DREAM Act" was reintroduced in the Senate..The Republicans say that is a form of government price controls and interferes with the free market. That's why Majority Leader McConnell refuses to bring the Grassley-Wyden bill up for debate in the Senate. That bill differs in how it would lower drug prices but Senator McConnell opposes it because it would, in his opinion, still interfere with the free market and also because health care will be a big issue in the elections this year. … Continued

Report Section Health Coverage And Care In The South In 2014 And Beyond Health Coverage And Care In The South Today
Then in early 2018 when the 2017 payroll returns are filed by your employer, Social Security will verify how much you actually earned in 2017, and may repay any excess benefits that were withheld or let you know if they did not withhold enough. But beware! TSCL has learned of cases where these recalculations have been wrong and very time consuming to get corrected..During the debt limit negotiations, one of the most frequently discussed components of deficit reduction plans included a switch to the "chained" CPI. Such a proposal wouldn't just impact Social Security benefits; it would also reduce Railroad Retirement benefits, military retirement, and federal pension payouts as well as Supplemental Security Income payments received by very low-income seniors. In addition, seniors would also pay more in taxes since the CPI is also used to adjust tax brackets, the standard deduction, and personal exemptions..Several lawmakers also asked Congressman Price about comments he recently made to reform the Medicare program before the end of the year. Congressman Price told the HELP Committee Members that there are no immediate plans to reform the program, and that he has not yet discussed the topic with the new administration. Congressman Price has authored several proposals in recent years that would transform the traditional Medicare program into a "premium support" model, where beneficiaries would be given vouchers to purchase private health insurance. TSCL opposes such plans since we believe they would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for seniors, and we will continue to advocate against them in the months ahead. … Continued

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