Blog Public PolicyThe deduction is especially important to people age 65 and over, since spending on medical expenses increases with age, and healthcare costs can be considerable. About 23 percent of participants in The Senior Citizens League's 2018 Senior Survey said they routinely itemize medical expenses. A recent report from the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation says that Medicare households spent on average ,355 in 2016 on healthcare costs that Medicare doesn't cover. That's equivalent to ,700 in 2018 adjusting for inflation..Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed at Wednesday's hearing that displaying the full Social Security number on Medicare cards puts seniors at risk for identity theft. However, the process of removing the numbers is costly and complex. Tony Trenkle, Director for the CMS Office of Information Services stated, "It's going to be a massive undertaking if we go down this road." He explained that the process would require a technology system update and massive education efforts for beneficiaries, providers, and business associates..and if your drug plan doesn't cover it, or drops coverage, you may want to go … Continued
Health Conditions And Treatments Eat Healthy Breakfast Cheesy Arugula Spinach Egg BakeBy Jamie McMillen, TSCL Legislative Assistant.For more information on the Social Security Fairness Act, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. To stay updated on its progress in Congress, follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..The previous changes have not only resulted in cutting the growth of COLAs received by Social Security recipients, but those of military retirees and COLA recipients in all other federal benefit programs as well. They came after a 1996 government commission headed by economist Michael Boskin said the CPI overstated the rate of inflation, and thus "overpaid" COLA recipients. Proponents of slowing COLA growth today make the same argument. … Continued