Care A Parents Guide To The Common ColdStarting January 1, 2014, all Americans are required to have health insurance. People who can afford it, but don't purchase health insurance by that date, may have to pay a fee, and must also pay the entire cost of all medical care they may later require. The fee in 2014 is 1% of your yearly income, or per person for the year, whichever is higher and that fee increases every year. By 2016, it is 2.5% of income, or 5 per person, whichever is higher..This creates problems especially in emergency room visits when the patient may require pricey services such as those from an air ambulance, doctor or other provider that does not have a contract with the patient's Medicare Advantage plan. When health plans get such bills, they can reject the claim and patients wind up on the hook for the "balance bill." While the average emergency room visit is just above 0, some patients have received surprise bills greater than 0,000 from out-of-network providers..Ending surprise billing has been a priority for TSCL this year so we are very hopeful this bill does, in fact, finally pass. … Continued
Absentee And Early VotingAlthough the new tax law almost doubles the standard deduction, and increases the deduction for taxpayers over the age of 65, The Senior Citizens League still encourages older taxpayers to compile and check medical and other deductible expenses before automatically taking the new standard deduction. The Senior Citizens League is working for passage of legislation that would lower or eliminate the taxation Social Security benefits, and strengthen Social Security for all..Do You Qualify For Medicare Part D Extra Help?.Now, as we draw close to the end of the year, the window for Congress to take major action to lower prescription drug prices is beginning to close. Concern is growing that the prospects of a substantial drug price reduction bill may get lost in the politics surrounding the 2020 election. Legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs is in the House, and a bipartisan bill that would cap out-of-pocket Part D costs at ,100 a year is stalled in the Senate. The whole effort is fiercely being fought by the pharmaceutical industry, and the outcome remains unclear. … Continued