Year after year, physicians who treat Medicare patients are threatened with scheduled pay cuts that Members of Congress consistently override. While doctors, patients, and lawmakers have grown accustomed to the "doc fix," the ritual has grown unpleasant for all involved. Doctors are fed up with the looming pay cuts, patients are losing access to their trusted physicians, and lawmakers are tired of the political sparring that occurs each time a pay patch is needed..Three Key Bills Gain Support.The number of people who rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income is growing. In 1976 one in four Social Security recipients relied on Social Security for most of their income, today one in three do. "Those who do rely on Social Security for most, or all, of their income are living very close to the poverty level," Cates says. The average Social Security benefit in 2014 was only ,304 for the year. That's just 18% above the U.S. poverty level - ,670 for a household of one..Changes in home housekeeping and maintenance. Is there a change in housekeeping and how well your friend maintains her home and yard? Is there clutter piled everyone, and garbage needing to be removed? Does the lawn look weedy and overgrown?.My pulmonologist ordered a CT scan, but the person scheduling appointments said they first had to check my insurance. Is this correct? I'm covered by Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan. I thought I would be covered for any medically necessary CT scan..Get the Seasonal Flu Vaccine but Not Just Yet.Lawmakers Debate Spending Bill, Immigration.Since 2007 the government has determined Part B premiums based on income. The government uses the most current tax return to determine income. For 2011, your mother's 2009 income was used. Individuals with incomes over ,000 or married couples with incomes of 0,000 are subject to the higher premiums. The healthcare reform legislation passed in 2010 expanded "means testing" to include Part D. Based on income, seniors pay a monthly surcharge of to .10 on top of the premium charged by their plan..The non - partisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that, if 500,000 of the roughly 6 million Americans with Alzheimer's are prescribed Aduhelm, total Medicare spending on this one drug, for one year, would be nearly billion. This would far exceed the spending on any other drug covered by Medicare Part B, or Part D, in 201Medicare spending for all Part B drugs was billion in 201What's more the estimated billion does not include the cost of any associated care. The drug can cause some people temporary brain swelling or small bleeding spots on the brain and requires pricey magnetic resonance imaging scans to monitor treatment.
