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Their platform's Social Security plan closes by saying, "Our plan contrasts starkly with Donald Trump. He has referred to Social Security as a 'Ponzi scheme' and has called for privatizing it as well as increasing the retirement age.".I recently learned that my ex-spouse passed away due to the coronavirus. He was older than I am, and had already started Social Security. He was getting about ,875 before we divorced. I'm remarried now, but my husband hasn't started benefits. He's only working part time. Would I possibly qualify for Social Security widower's benefits based on my ex-husband's Social Security?.This week, lawmakers continued working towards an omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year..Learn more about your best retirement age using Social Security website's benefit planning tools or call the Social Security Administration toll free at. Many areas of the country hold programs and workshops on retirement and benefits. Find out what is planned in your area by contacting your local senior center, library, community colleges and universities..The hold harmless provision protects people who have their Medicare Part B premiums automatically deducted from their Social Security payments. If the Medicare Part B premium increase is greater than the amount of the COLA increase, then the Part B premium will be frozen to prevent a reduction in Social Security payments. The provision does not apply to new enrollees in 2016, people who pay their Medicare Part B premiums by check, low-income beneficiaries who have their Medicare premiums paid for by state Medicaid programs and high income people who pay premium surcharges..To learn how much COLA cuts would cost you, try TSCL's Chained COLA calculator..Two House Bills Gain New Support."New Alzheimer's Drug Clouds Outlook For Medicare Premiums Next Year," Mark Miller, Reuters, July 12, 202"How Everyone On Medicare Could End Up Paying For The Pricey New Alzheimer's Drug," July 10, 202"Medicare Evaluating Coverage for ,000 Alzheimer's Drug," Ricardo Alonso Zaldivar, Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press, July 13, 2021..The disparity between growth in the COLA and Medigap premiums is likely to be worse in 2020. "Inflation is lower this year, and we are estimating that the COLA is likely to be around 1.7 percent," Johnson says. "Nevertheless, we anticipate that Medigap premiums will continue to grow several times faster for a number of reasons," Johnson adds.

Telemedicine Is Growing

Also last week, House Democrats unveiled a range of health care measures to be included in their coming .5 trillion package, including provisions to lower prescription drug prices and expand Medicaid in the 12 GOP-led states that have refused to do so. The measure unveiled by the House Energy and Commerce Committee includes legislation to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices, known as H.R. 3..Coronavirus vaccine by this winter? Maybe, but do not get your hopes up too far..TSCL questions whether the more widespread use of subjective criteria in disability determinations may be contributing to disability fraud. Recently, 134 people, including retired New York City police officers and firefighters, were charged in one of the largest disability frauds on record. Those indicted were charged with faking mental disabilities, like post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from responding to the 911 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits. … Continued

Patient Education Second Trimester Whats Happening

If a therapist or home health agency says that Medicare does not cover a service any longer, that's a red flag because Medicare hasn't changed benefits, or the qualifications to receive benefits, but only the payment structure. To be eligible for Medicare home health benefits you must meet all of the following conditions:.It required a mix of financial incentives, unprecedented world-wide need, and government prodding. But drug companies stepped up, and based on their performance in the stock market, they appear to be prospering. The federal government negotiated not only prices, but also it purchased hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines, made the vaccines available to the public at no charge, and has overseen the distribution of the vaccines to states. Those vaccines are saving lives, helping to get workers back on the job, and allowing those of us who are fully vaccinated to carefully start to resume pre-pandemic activities, such as visits with friends, family and grandchildren..Tuesday Senators Grassley and Wyden announced legislation, The Prescription Drug Pricing and Reduction Act of 201The bill if adopted would save taxpayers more than 0 Billion, lower Medicare Beneficiaries out-of-pocket costs by Billion and premiums by Billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. A hearing on Thursday of a key panel of legislators advanced the legislation out of the Senate Finance Committee despite close-call votes on controversial provisions, priming the legislation to be considered by the full Senate in the fall. … Continued