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The high cost of healthcare and the significant cost of serious illness or dementia is climbing at one of the most rapid rates in years. Last year TSCL's annual Senior Survey found that 29% of survey respondents spent up to one-half of their Social Security benefits on healthcare costs, up from 25% the previous year. Another 18% spent more than one-half of their benefits on healthcare, up from 13% the previous year..On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all TSCL members, we would like to send a hearty "thank-you," to the Members of Congress and their staff for meeting with us..If signed into law, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act would amend the Social Security Act with regard to the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits. Currently, the COLA is based upon the spending patterns of young, urban workers using the CPI for Urban Wage Earners. This legislation would calculate the COLA based on the spending patterns of seniors by using the CPI-E..COLAs Go Over The Fiscal Cliff.Another initiative announced on Monday will improve the quality and safety requirements for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. The new rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will update the standards that have been in place for nearly twenty-five years. According to the administration, it will "improve quality of life, enhance person-centered care and services for residents in nursing homes, improve resident safety, and bring these regulatory requirements into closer alignment with current professional standards.".Here are tips to help you maintain your oral health without depleting your budget:.The first change affects those who hit the Medicare Part D donut hole, or the gap in coverage that occurs after a beneficiary's total drug costs reach ,970 and before they total ,750. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, last year 2.8 million seniors who hit the donut hole saved an average of 7 on prescription drugs due to the Affordable Care Act. This year, Medicare will provide an additional subsidy to those who hit the coverage gap, resulting in an additional in savings for the average beneficiary..My husband passed away on March 31st. I was told that I have to return his entire Social Security payment for the month of March. Can this be true? This is an unfair and callous policy. Bills were incurred during the days that he was alive. Returning the check creates a financial hardship since every bit of it was spent on his healthcare, not to mention the costs of his funeral!.This week, House and Senate lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill to begin the "lame duck" session. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw two key Medicare bills gain support in Congress.

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Social Security benefits are one of the few types of retirement income to be automatically adjusted annually for inflation. In 2020, more than 61 million Social Security recipients received a 1.6 percent annual COLA, which raised the average ,460 benefit by .40 per month..The purpose of this update each week is to give our supporters like you information about issues that are important to seniors, but that do not make the headlines. They are usually issues we are working on to ensure our elected officials keep faith with the commitments that were made to each of us during our lifetimes of work, especially concerning Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid..Last week Politico.com reported that major legislation meant to lower prescription drug prices has run into unexpected trouble in the House of Representatives. … Continued

Issue Brief How Can Medicaid Enhance State Capacity To Respond To Covid 19
Computed tomography or CT scans are diagnostic tests that are covered by Medicare when medically necessary and ordered by your healthcare provider. Medicare most typically covers the tests under Part B when you are an outpatient, or the tests would be covered by Part A if you receive the CT scan as an inpatient during a hospital stay..Social Security disability benefits are financed through the taxes paid by workers and their employers on earnings up to a cap of 7,000. Of the 6.2% that each pays, 0.9% goes to Disability Insurance and the rest goes to pay retirement and survivors benefits..Currently, the DI trust fund is set to become depleted in late 2016, and legislative action will be needed to prevent a 25 percent cut in benefits for 11 million disabled beneficiaries. According to those at Wednesday's hearing, reallocating funds from the Old Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund is the simplest and least controversial way of solving the problem. However, TSCL disagrees since doing so would mean that the OASI trust fund would become depleted four years earlier than currently projected. In our most recent survey of members and supporters, only 1 percent said they support the reallocation of funds from the OASI trust fund to the DI trust fund. … Continued

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