An estimated 39 million Medicare beneficiaries spend up to 29 percent of their Social Security benefits on healthcare costs, according to a new survey by The Senior Citizens League. "That's a huge chunk of one's household budget, and chances are that many of those people are paying too much for premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket costs," says Mary Johnson a Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. "One of the best financial moves that Medicare beneficiaries can make is to review health and drug plan coverage and compare options during Medicare's Fall Open Enrollment Period, which starts October 15 and runs through December 7, 2021," Johnson says. "For many people, it could potentially save hundreds of dollars, making the difference between having to split pills or going without, versus to covering all prescriptions and still winding up with a little cash left over," says Johnson, who helps her friends and family with the task..Heap's story is part of a major investigative series on Medicare drug fraud, by the independent, non-profit investigative news organization ProPublica. Reporters, using Medicare's own data, were able to identify scores of doctors whose prescribing within Part D followed known patterns of fraud. ProPublica's investigation found that "Medicare's system for pursuing fraud is so cumbersome and poorly run that schemes quickly siphon away millions." The stories are drawing a remarkable reaction from the normally snail-paced Medicare. The agency recently announced plans to better control prescription drug fraud, including new authority to revoke doctors' Medicare enrollment if patterns of abusive prescribing are found..This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts to continue the holiday recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, July 10th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings around the country..Alexandria, VA Seniors got a modest 3.6% boost in their Social Security benefit this year. But whether it's making a difference in the bank balances of the more than 39.5 million seniors aged 65 and older who get Medicare is another story. The Senior Citizens League, one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups, is hoping to learn the answer to this question. TSCL recently launched its annual "Senior Survey" to find out how rising Medicare and other costs are impacting seniors' incomes and.Before Medicare, only half of our nation's seniors had health insurance and for far too many, a mild illness or injury could lead to bankruptcy or even death. Today, more than 47 million Americans receive Medicare benefits and have the peace and security of knowing that quality healthcare will be there for them when they need it..By: Jessie Gibbons, Legislative Analyst.How far will your 2013 COLA go? What other options do we have to address Social Security's solvency? Take TSCL's 2013 Senior Survey!.In 1977 Social Security was going bankrupt because of a flawed benefit formula that raised benefits too quickly. That year Congress passed legislation which changed the way benefits were calculated starting with retirees who were born in 1917 and became eligible for benefits in 197The changes were major and the transition between the old and new method of calculating benefits did not work as anticipated..Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Eliminating inefficiencies within Social Security and Medicare.
