State legislatures magazine first branch news legislative headlines week of oct 4 2021 magazine2021 data image png base64 iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAHsAAAAVCAYAAABmOZFVAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAARnQU1BAACxjwv8YQUAAAAJcEhZcwAAEnQAABJ0Ad5mH3gAAABPSURBVGhD7dExAcAwDMCwdPxZBVj7jIWsxwB8dvdOCN fAJoNaTak2ZBmQ5oNaTak2ZBmQ5oNaTak2ZBmQ5oNaTak2ZBmQ5oNaTak2YyZByvoA3Lay1 oAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC

and if your drug plan doesn't cover it, or drops coverage, you may want to go.Medicare has recently made revisions to its payment rules, but those changes do not drop the three day of inpatient care for nursing home coverage, or require hospitals to tell patients when they are getting observation care. Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would count observation stays as part of the three hospital days required for nursing home coverage..The confirmation of Marilyn Tavenner marks a major milestone for CMS, and like those Senators who voted in her favor, TSCL is hopeful that her leadership will provide the Medicare program with increased stability..The health premium subsidy will be paid on your behalf directly to your selected insurance plan, and you will get tax credits that reduce the total amount of tax you owe to the IRS. This can mean a bigger refund if you don't owe. The credit begins with insurance that starts January 1, 2014 or later..In the days ahead, The Senior Citizens League will keep a close eye on the evolving budget negotiations, and we will continue to advocate for legislative solutions that would strengthen and protect your Social Security and Medicare benefits. For updates, follow us on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website every Friday morning..The Social Security Trustees now say that benefit costs are exceeding the cash revenues coming in. Do you think changes are needed, and if so, what?.When President Obama announced his massive immigration executive action last fall, a White House fact sheet said the actions would "expand the country's tax base by millions of people and billions of dollars." Then in a plainly self-contradictory statement, the fact sheet goes on to say that many of the 5 million individuals who would be eligible for work authorization and deportation protection "are already in the workforce contributing federal, state, and local taxes. But roughly two-third of them don't pay taxes today." The White House thus implies that executive action would add solvency to the program, because most of the people it affects aren't paying taxes into the program today..If you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment period, you can sign up January 1 March 31, during the Medicare General Enrollment period. Your coverage, however, won't begin until July In addition, you may have to pay a higher premium for late enrollment..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:

Blog Legislators Focus On Non Degree Credentials To Meet Attainment Goal
That's a common misconception. According to estimates from the Social Security Administration's Chief Actuary, three-quarters of "other-than-legal" immigrants have payroll taxes withheld..serious or whether it's just a "natural part of growing older," which in any.Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Senate is behind in getting its regular work accomplished. We think it's a shame they won't spend more time in session getting the legislation passed that's needed, especially on prescription drug prices, surprise medical billing, shoring up the Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and fixing the COLA to reflect the true inflationary costs that seniors face. … Continued

About State Legislatures Learning The Game
The House of Representatives returned to work this week after the traditional August recess. The Senate, however, does not come back until next week..Please be aware that if the federal government shuts down on Tuesday, October 1st, your daily life should NOT be affected. Medicare will continue to operate, and your Social Security benefits will go out on time regardless of whether or not the federal government is running..The blueprint also calls for billion in Social Security cuts, and it would fully repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with the House-passed American Health Care Act. That change would leave millions of older Americans not yet eligible for Medicare without health insurance coverage due to high costs. It would also impact around 11 million Medicare beneficiaries who are also enrolled in the Medicaid program many of whom are patients in costly nursing home facilities. … Continued