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Heating and cooling: According to TSCL's Annual Survey of senior costs, residential fuel oil has been the fastest rising expense for more than a decade. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a 250-gallon delivery of home heating oil this season may cost more than With the average monthly Social Security payment around ,100, that's a cost few seniors can afford and still have something left over for groceries. Take time to survey suppliers in your area and compare costs. Do ask for a senior citizen discount and learn the supplier's payment options. Financing your heating fuel through the supplier may give you smaller, more manageable payments, but you will pay financing fees and interest. With interest so low on savings, it sometimes makes sense to pay in full when you can to save financing charges..Senior advocates are concerned that all of Medicare's 60 million beneficiaries will likely see their premiums for Medicare Part B, and Medigap supplements, rise significantly to cover this one new medication. Because the drug is administered in a physician's office, it would be covered under Medicare Part B, not part D plans which pay for drugs purchased from pharmacies. Medicare typically reimburses doctors 103% of the list price of drugs administered in their office..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..Do I Have To Give Up My Current Healthcare Coverage To Go On Medicare?.By using reconciliation, it would mean there would have to billions of dollars cut from current spending programs, including Medicare..Eye exams, eye glasses, and contact lenses.."The measure would generally limit surprise billing in the following circumstances:.The issue of PBM transparency is not a hyper-partisan issue - and that was clear when the U.S. House passed our bill by an overwhelming margin of 403 to 0. That vote should signal just how common high drug prices are in districts across the country, and I'm encouraged by Democrats and Republicans both recognizing the pressing need for our legislation..Introduced by Reps. Linda Sanchez and Tom Reed, the bill would provide up to ,000 in a family caregiver tax credit. Expenses like groceries, modifications to a home, transportation to a doctors' visits, or hiring someone to look after an elderly patient or disabled child would qualify for the credit. "A caregiving credit would be a much needed help," says Susan. "It would benefit me and benefit a lot of other older families that I work with," she says.