According to AARP, about 94% of widely-used brand-name drugs that were on the market between 2005 and 2017 nearly doubled in price. And in 2017, the average annual cost of specialty drugs - which treat complex conditions like cancer - was about ,800. In contrast, the average Social Security benefit in 2017 was just ,800..Sen. Enzi, one of the leading negotiators, said in a statement: "Congress is poised to approve a 10-year balanced budget for the first time since 2001, which represents an important step in confronting the nation's chronic overspending. This will help change the way we do business here in Washington to make the government live within its means just like hardworking families.".In most years, seniors receive a small increase in their Social Security checks, intended to help them keep up with rising costs. But since 2000, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment has increased benefits just 38 percent while typical senior expenses have jumped 81 percent, more than twice as fast. Inflation has been at historic lows in recent years and seniors received a 1.7 percent COLA this year..With President Obama pushing for an immigration bill "by the end of the summer," Congress is rapidly moving major immigration reform legislation. Under the bill passed in the Senate, an estimated 8-11 million unauthorized immigrants would receive work authorization, giving them access to Social Security numbers and with it entitlement to Social Security and Medicare benefits with ten years of earnings..The high dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. It is associated with a stronger immune response following vaccination. Results from a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants showed that adults 65 years and older who received the high dose vaccine had 24% fewer influenza illnesses as compared to those who received the standard dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine has been approved for use in the United States since 200Learn more about high dose flu vaccine here..New legislation before the House and Senate would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset so that public servants receive the Social Security benefits they have earned and deserve. Will you cosponsor the Social Security Fairness Act when you return to Washington?.Medicare "Premium Support" Gains Momentum.Senate Returns to Washington.This week, the partial federal government shutdown continued for the fifth week, and The Senior Citizens League announced its support for one new bill that would expand Medicare coverage to include essential health services.

For Medical Professionals Patient Education

Forty-three percent of all seniors count on Social Security for 80% or more of their income..The survey showed that many people did not know how to safely use different cleaning products, even as most said they knew how to properly store and use them. About a quarter of respondents knew that only room temperature water should be mixed with bleach, and a third knew not to mix bleach with vinegar. More of the respondents - about two thirds - knew that eye protection and gloves were recommended when using certain cleaners..Low-income beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. According to the Congressional Research Service, state Medicaid programs pay the Medicare Part B premiums of about 18% of Medicare beneficiaries. Although this group is not protected by the hold harmless provision, because their state Medicaid program pays their Medicare premium it is not deducted from their Social Security. Increases in Part B premiums would not reduce their Social Security their benefits. … Continued

Blog A Look At Health Provisions In The Cares Act

But while FICA taxes and the revenues paid by older taxpayers on Social Security benefits are real cash, the "interest" earned by the I.O.U.s is a "paper" accounting entry. There's no dedicated source of revenue for that money. The money to repay the Social Security Trust Fund comes from general revenues, and Congress borrows more money by lifting the debt limit..That doesn't mean that a budget agreement is completely out of the question or the much more unlikely scenario that Congress won't get paid. The No Budget No Pay Act holds Congressional paychecks in escrow, and, by law, will release the funds either when a budget agreement is reached, or on the last day of the 113th Congress, which ends on December 31, 2014..A widely-discussed plan to reduce the federal deficit would use a slower-growing consumer price index, known as the "chained" CPI, to calculate the annual cost-of-living adjustment. The proposal, often referred to as "chaining" the COLA, would not be the first time the government has tweaked the inflation index to cut government spending on benefit programs … Continued

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