Articles
- U.K. Healthcare vs. American Healthcare: How Prescriptions DifferBy Susan Stewart, Licensed Insurance Agent I lived in England for 10 years, worked, got a driver’s license, joined a book club, and needed medical care. Here are facts and observations written from the point of observation rather than deep investigative reporting. In the U.K., prescriptions currently cost £9.90 each. That is about $12. In 2012, they were ...
- Legislative Update: Adjusted Social Security Benefits Face Long DelayBy Daisy Brown, Legislative Liaison, TSCL The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law by former President Biden in January, will raise benefits for 3.2 million Americans who receive pensions for work that Social Security doesn’t cover. This means that many public workers—such as firefighters, teachers, and police officers—will no longer have their retirement benefits penalized ...
- Did You Know About This Resource to Help Care for Loved Ones With Dementia?By Alex Moore Dementia affected more than 6.7 million Americans in 2023, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), with 14 million projected cases by 2060. The disease is brutal, not just for patients, but their families as well. It’s a major reason why 53 million Americans, according to an estimate from AARP ...
- Medicare Starts Punishing Pharma Price GougersBy Alex Moore Medicare just punished drug companies for increasing the price of medicine faster than inflation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified 64 drugs whose prices outpaced inflation in December and lowered their Part B coinsurance from January through the end of this month. The agency estimates that seniors will save up ...
- Benefits Bulletin: How Much Would Seniors Save If the U.S. Eliminates Taxes on Social Security IncomeBy Edward Cates, Chair, TSCL President Trump laid out a major new policy proposal in December on his social media platform, Truth Social. “SENIORS SHOULD NOT PAY TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY!” he wrote, suggesting that he would like to eliminate the rules that require seniors to pay taxes on up to 85 percent of their benefits, ...
- Biden Proposal to Expand Medicare Access to Weight Loss Drugs Hangs in the BalanceBy Alex Moore In November, former President Biden proposed expanding anti-obesity drugs, like Wegovy, for people with Medicare and Medicaid coverage. These drugs are currently only covered for people who use them to treat other conditions, like diabetes and heart disease. However, the change faces a threat from the incoming administration. The new administration’s pick to lead ...
- Tax Season and Your Social Security BenefitsBy Edward Cates, Chairman, TSCL It’s already February, which means that this year’s tax deadline of April 15 is just a few short weeks away. For many Social Security recipients, especially people who have just started claiming their benefits, it adds yet another layer of complexity to figuring out how much you owe the government—or ...
- Cost-of-Living Adjustment for 2024 Could Be 3.1%Press Briefing 5.10.23 Research on the buying power of Social Security benefits by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) confirms that inflation is moderating. But a lower inflation rate has not necessarily meant that prices have come down. This year the study found that the oldest adults, especially those (age 85 and older) who retired before 2000, ...
- How Long Will Inflation Continue? Expect to See Rising Costs in These Five CategoriesBy Mary Johnson, editor Will the 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) be enough to meet rising costs in 2022? Will Social Security recipients receive a big enough boost next year in order to afford groceries for the entire month, instead of running short before the month ends? From what I’m reading, the rate of price inflation is ...
- Part B Premiums Rise 14.5%— Social Security 5.9%In January, the Social Security checks of more than 69 million beneficiaries will rise by 5.9%. That cost- of – living adjustment (COLA) will increase an average monthly retiree benefit of $1,565 by $92 per month — far more than the meager inflation adjustments over most of the past 12 years when COLAs averaged just ...
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