Providers couldn't send patients a balance bill for any amounts that exceed the cost-sharing requirement in those scenarios..Most troubling, in October we reported that Medicare Advantage plans have overcharged Medicare by almost billion in recent years. Officials know that some Medicare Advantage plans exaggerate how sick their patients are by inflating the "risk scores" in order to collect higher payments from Medicare, yet the federal government has recovered only a tiny percentage of the overpayments to private insurers in the past..During this presidential election year it's important to let elected lawmakers, the President, and their challengers all know how seniors are affected by the economy and how seniors think those issues should be addressed. To participate in TSCL's 2012 Annual Senior Survey online, visit TSCL at or call to receive a copy of the survey by mail..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..If Congress fails to prevent a default on the federal debt, older Americans will be impacted in two major ways. First, Social Security benefits would be delayed, and millions of seniors living on fixed incomes would suffer financially. Second, health plans that cover Medicare beneficiaries and providers who treat Medicare patients would likely see postponements in their reimbursements from the federal government. Access to quality medical care could become more difficult for older Americans if that occurs.."Implications Of Different Indexing Choices," Government Accountability Office, September 2006, GAO-06-804, pg. 5"GAO's Analysis of the Notch Issue," GAO, September 16, 1994, GAO/T-HEHS-94-236..This approach is unacceptable to me and reflects the wrong values and priorities. I'll never forget the elderly woman from Galesburg, Illinois who came up to me on the campaign trail last year to tell me how important Medicare is to her well-being. She pleaded with me to fight to protect Medicare because she couldn't afford even an extra in out-of-pocket costs for her healthcare, let alone the additional ,400 the Ryan Budget could put her back..While seniors with Medicare aren't required to have an Obamacare health plan, they have worries too. Obamacare cut Medicare by more than 0 billion over ten years, and that's starting to impact seniors age 65 and older. In particular, the law cut reimbursements to Medicare Advantage plans by 6 billion..The I.O.U.s in the Social Security Trust Fund are a special type of non-marketable bond issued by the U.S. Treasury when excess revenues are received. The cash revenue that isn't needed to pay benefits is "borrowed" and used for other government spending. By law, the I.O.U.s held by the Trust Fund pay interest, and that forms an additional source of income - on paper, at least.
