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Low-income individuals whose state Medicaid programs pay their Medicare Part B premium on their behalf..Lawmakers Work Towards Omnibus.We strongly recommend that you call your dad's health plan and ask for a detailed statement including dates of stays and services billed. Keep careful notes of your call. If you are still unsatisfied, you can get free one-on-one counseling through your state health insurance assistance programs that may be able to help you determine what costs should have been covered and whether you should appeal the charges. Find a program in your area here..Two of the most popular Medigap plans, "F" and "C," will no longer be offered for sale in 2020. "While individuals enrolled in these plans may keep their plans, we are concerned that premiums for these plans could rise significantly without younger and healthier new enrollees to spread the costs in those plans," Johnson says..This week, the fall recess continued for lawmakers in the House and Senate who are campaigning for the upcoming elections..The riskiest one-third of patients were 280.6% more likely to drop cardiovascular drugs than the bottom two-thirds; there were similar results for those at high risk of diabetic and pulmonary complications..Social Security provides at least half the income for 65 percent of seniors..Annual Open Enrollment Period: The annual Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15, through December 7, 201During this period you can compare and switch Part D stand alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans.."TSCL surveys indicate there is no support for benefit cuts among older voters," Johnson says. "We have learned, however, that there is widespread support to boost the amount of wages subject to the Social Security payroll tax, and to provide more adequate Social Security income," she says. "Raising the Social Security taxable maximum is a way to do both," she points out.

Patient Education Beginnings

Members of the House and Senate spent the week in their home states and districts, and will return to Capitol Hill on Monday, February 27th..Flu vaccination is especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at high risk of developing serious complications from flu. Flu vaccines are updated each season as needed to keep up with changing viruses. Also, immunity wanes over a year so annual vaccination is needed to ensure the best possible protection against flu. A flu vaccine protects against the flu viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Flu vaccines for 2020-2021 have been updated from last season's vaccine to better match circulating viruses. Immunity from vaccination fully sets in after about two weeks..visiting the government's National Clearinghouse for Long Term Care Information … Continued

Election Technology Overview

"We write to express our concern and alarm about the dramatic increase in problems with mail delivery that are being experienced by constituents across Maryland. Based on the reports and information we have received; these delays appear to be the result of delayed processing times and staff shortages..If signed into law, the Strengthening Social Security Act would amend title II of the Social Security Act to adjust the benefit formula, resulting in a more generous monthly Social Security benefit. It would also change the way that cost-of-living adjustments are calculated by adopting a Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, and it would lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax..One of the big questions we have is why this flu is so different from the regular seasonal flu, or even the flu viruses we've experienced in the past years such as swine flu, SARS, MERS or Ebola. After all, whether we like it or not, it's a fact that seniors are among the most vulnerable when it comes to theses flus, especially if someone has other serious underlying illnesses. It's also a fact that significant numbers of people die each time there is a flu outbreak, and seniors make up a large portion of those deaths. … Continued