Medicare State Indicator ContractsLike the enormous sword of Greek legend hanging by a single hair above the head of Damocles, the U.S. Totalization agreement with Mexico continues to remain hanging over our nation's Social Security program. The agreement has not yet undergone final approval, but its fate has far-reaching implications for the benefits of 53 million U.S. Social Security beneficiaries..This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts for the week-long holiday recess..Medicare Extra Help helps pay for some, or most, of the out-of-pocket costs for Medicare prescription drug coverage. It is also known as the Part D "Low-Income" subsidy. Extra Help pays for the Part D premium up to a certain amount, lowers the cost of your prescription drugs, gives you special enrollment periods to switch plans, and eliminates the Part D late enrollment penalty if you did not enroll in Part D by your original deadline. If your income is under ,615 or ,175 and you have limited savings and resources, you might be eligible. Apply for Medicare Extra Help on the Social Security website. … Continued
Mercy Hospital Services Heart And Vascular Center Services And Procedures Cardiovascular SurgeryAs anyone who was following the news last week knows, Congress failed to reach an agreement on a new coronavirus economic relief bill, so they went home. They have left it up to the leadership in both houses to try and come up with legislation that can pass both bodies, but no one sounds optimistic that will happen before they return in September..TSCL's report contains one of the only up-to-date compilations of Social Security's Earnings Suspense File data, based on government documents, and updated with the most recent Social Security Administration data annually. The data indicate that in the years immediately following the 1986 immigration amnesty, the Earnings Suspense File grew at an unprecedented pace. From 2000 to 2011 the number of mismatched wage reports doubled, jumping from 52 million reported from 1990 to 1999 to 109.7 million from 2000 to 201In addition, the amount of average annual wages represented by the reports has also grown considerably since the 1990s - about 60%, after adjusting for inflation..So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first. … Continued