According to Rep. Cartwright, Direct Care Workers currently provide 70-80 percent of the paid, hands-on care that those with chronic illnesses receive. However, they are not recognized as "essential contributors" to teams that provide care, and they do not receive the advanced training that is needed for them to realize their full potential. S. 2251 and H.R. 4445 would address this issue, and TSCL believes if signed into law, the bill would go a long way in ensuring that seniors receive coordinated, quality medical care..Shop the bulk bins: Stores like Whole Foods have bulk foods like dry beans, oatmeal, rice and spices. You can buy as much or as little as you need, which helps ensure freshness and flavor when cooking for one or two. Frequently the price per pound when buying bulk is much lower than packaged goods, but compare..He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Manassas Museum in Manassas, Virginia, and a former board member of the Retiresafe association..Late this week, lawmakers in the House and Senate adjourned for a seven-week summer recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill following the Labor Day holiday, on September 6th. In the meantime, most Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts, presenting constituents with an excellent opportunity to have their most pressing questions answered before the looming elections..Because of age-related changes in their immune systems, people 65 years and older may not respond as well to vaccination as younger people. Although immune responses may be lower in older people, studies have consistently found that flu vaccine has been effective in reducing the risk of medical visits and hospitalizations associated with flu..Based on consumer price index data through May of this year, TSCL's Social Security policy analyst and study author, Mary Johnson, estimates that the COLA for 2018 may indeed be significantly higher than in recent years - around 1.9% - 2.1% - but that could change since there are still several months to go before the COLA is announced in October..Many enrollees in traditional Medicare have purchased a supplemental Medigap policy that covers the out - of - pocket expenses of Part B. Premiums for those policies could also rise as insurers anticipate higher outlays for costs associated with Aduhelm. On the other hand, out - of - pocket costs would be the big cost issue for enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans. According to experts at Kaiser Family Foundation, 500 thousand patients taking Aduhelm could add about per month to the Medicare Part B premium, which in 2021 is 8.50 for most beneficiaries, to as much as 5 a month for higher income beneficiaries who pay a surtax on their premium..Could the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment be more fairly adjusted to provide a fixed annual dollar amount? If the dollar amount of the increase were to be based on middle income, then low- and middle-income beneficiaries would be on more equal footing, and higher income beneficiaries would not be hurt any worse than we typically are anyway like this year with a 1.3% COLA!.Your thoughts on this matter can sway votes in Congress. Contact your Members of Congress. Letting each of them know what you think about debt limit deals that would cut "entitlements" like the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or trim benefits in other ways.
