During the August break an old and ugly threat to Social Security and Medicare surfaced once again. The Congressional Budget Office released its forecast of future federal government deficits. It said that deficits are expected to climb to over trillion in fiscal year2020, which begins this October And they will keep going up in the years after that..In an ideal world, prior authorization is supposed to deter patients from receiving care that is not truly medically necessary, thus reducing costs for insurers and out-of-pocket costs of enrollees. But prior authorization is sometimes misused to create barriers to getting care, or to even deny medically necessary care. Regardless of how prior authorization is used, it creates extra administrative hassles for physicians when they have to file the documentation to obtain the authorization..Congressional CornerCongressional Corner: Protecting Against A New Wave of Senior Scams Congressional Corner: Rebuilding the Economy Needs to Include Mobility for Senior Citizens Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions That Need to be Fixed Congressional Corner: We Can Ensure Social Security and Medicare Work. There Are Ways to do Both! Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Medicare Should Protect Your Teeth Too! Congressional Corner: Legislation Would Abolish Two Provisions That Reduce Social Security Benefits of Public Employees Congressional Corner: Planning for the Future Congressional Corner: Capping Drug Costs Could Negatively Impact Rural Health Care Systems Congressional Corner: Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Should Never Be a Partisan Issue Congressional Corner: Mediocre For All. Rural Healthcare's Road Trip to Ruin Congressional Corner: To Stay Healthy And Enjoy Retirement Means Protecting Earned Benefits and Cutting Drug Prices Congressional Corner: Two Bills That Would Bring Down High Prescription Drug Costs Congressional Corner: We Cannot Cut Medicare and Medicaid Congressional Corner: As Congress Fights Robocalls, Take Steps to Protect Yourself Congressional Corner: Fighting Back Against Senior Scammers Congressional Corner: It's Time to Tackle the High Cost of Prescription Drugs Congressional Corner: We Need Competition In Prescription Drug Pricing and to Stop Abusive Conduct That Keep Drug Costs High Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to Get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions Unfairly Penalize Millions of Teachers, Firefighters and Public Sector Workers.This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts for the week-long Independence Day holiday recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Monday, July 10th..For the past 16 years, Johnson, has been helping friends and family members with the job of comparing health and drug plans. "It takes patience, but this is likely to be the best return on comparison shopping that you do all year," Johnson says. Here are some pointers:.In fact, Senators on both sides of the aisle praised Burwell during their speeches on the Senate floor, expressing their high hopes for her work as HHS Secretary. Sen. Mike Johanns called her "a breath of fresh air," and Sen. Rob Portman said he thinks Burwell will help the department "get its act together." In addition, Sen. Johnny Isakson stated: "I'm looking forward to having someone in [HHS] that's going to be able to answer the hard questions. I might not like the answer, but I like having somebody who has the intellect and the capability and the willingness to be communicating with the Members of Congress.".We hope you will use these points and contact your own Senators and Representatives and tell them you are absolutely opposed to any payroll tax cut.."Medicare is also in the cross - hairs for massive changes," Johnson says. The budget resolution stipulates major changes that would focus Medicare on a system of private insurers, and provide beneficiaries with premium subsidies to shop for their own health insurance. A Congressional Budget Office report has found that similar proposals in the past would shift a growing portion of costs to older Americans. In that 2013 report, the CBO estimated that Medicare beneficiaries' premiums would be about 30 percent higher by 2020 than under current law..The median income for those age 65 and older was ,757 in 2010.
