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The 116th Congress is right around the corner. Our FREE newsletter will keep you updated on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and health care news happening around Capitol Hill. You can sign up by visiting: http://bit.ly/2Gf5D6w
Thank you Rep. Roybal-Allard! It is our hope that action will be taken on your legislation during the current 116th Congress. The “Seniors Have Eyes, Ears and Teeth Act” would help millions of Medicare beneficiaries who need vision, hearing and dental care, which is not covered by Medicare. Read more from our letter here: https://www.ncpssm.org/documents/letters-116th/letter-endorsing-seniors-have-eyes-ears-and-teeth-act/
Three pieces of legislation have been introduced in the 116th Congress that would implement the CPI-E for calculating Social Security COLAs: Social Security 2100 Act, Social Security Expansion Act, and CPI-E Act.
Join us at 1pm EST for Behind the Headlines on Facebook Live as we discuss:
- Medicare expansion in the 116th Congress.
- Right-wing is wrong on Midterms, Social Security & Medicare.
Watch the broadcast at 1pm by clicking here.
Many elderly people – particularly those with low incomes – had trouble accessing not only hearing aids, but also hearing aid-related services such as fittings and maintenance visits, researchers found.
Dually eligible patients – those eligible to receive both Medicare and Medicaid – were 41% less like to use hearing care services, and were twice as likely to report having a lot of trouble hearing with their aids, compared to high-income Medicare beneficiaries, Amber Willink, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues, reported in a studyin Health Affairs. In addition, older beneficiaries with less than a high school diploma were 30% less likely to use hearing aid services.
via Medpage Today.
Related Reading:
The 116th Congress can improve Medicare and Social Security.
Expand Medicare benefits –
Traditional Medicare does not currently cover vision, dental, and hearing — leaving seniors to either bear thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs or go without necessary care. Several House bills including Rep. Debbie Dingell’s (D-Mich.) Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard’s (D-Calif.) Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Actwould add this much-needed coverage to Medicare.
Silence Isn’t Golden: The Case for Expanding Medicare.
Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults. Yet an estimated 70% of Americans with hearing problems between age 65 and 84 are not using hearing aids. With an average cost of $3,000 – $7,000 and zero coverage from Medicare, it’s little surprise that for a senior collecting an average monthly Social Security check of $1,287, hearing aids are seen as a luxury they simply can’t afford.
We are ready for the 116th Congress to get to work.
We have a new 116th Congress timeline up on the website. This will change daily/weekly so keep it bookmarked. You can click on each text to view the source.
Visit the timeline by clicking here.
Welcome 116th Congress!
Let’s get to work!
In general, the older and poorer you are, the higher your premiums would be under the American Health Care Act compared with current law.
via VOX.
Related Reading:
- CBO Confirms: GOP Healthcare Bill is a Huge Setback for Older Americans.
- Seniors who rely on Medicaid will suffer under the American Health Care Act. The CBO report calculates that the AHCA slashes Medicaid spending by $834 billion. Medicaid currently helps pay for long term care for millions of seniors nationwide. The CBO estimates that some 14 million Medicaid recipients would lose coverage under the AHCA – or not be able to attain it in the first place – within the next 10 years.
House GOP Votes to Gut Medicaid, Weaken Medicare & Put Seniors’ healthcare at Risk
The National Committee strongly condemns the American Health Care Act (AHCA) just passed by the House, which needlessly puts the healthcare of millions of older Americans in jeopardy. “Despite the bill’s name, risking the health of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens to give the wealthy an $880 billion tax cut is tremendously uncaring — and does not reflect real American values,” says Max Richtman.
The bill cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid by converting it into a block grant program or imposing per capita caps, which will make it harder for impoverished seniors to access long term skilled nursing care and community or home care. Overall, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 14 million people will be kicked off the Medicaid rolls in the next 10 years if this bill becomes law.