News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending September 20 2013

    But TSCL's polls, surveys, and stories on the COLA in the media have played a key role in helping to change that debate from one in which benefit cuts are inevitable, to one which explains why benefits should be made more adequate and payroll taxes should be increased. We could not have accomplished this without the hundreds of you who take time to send in your comments and stories, and who take our annual Senior Surveys. .My prescription for Lantus and blood pressure medicine has skyrocketed recently. When I called Humana, they said they are dealing with Covid-19, and costs have increased. The new price is at a level that makes it impossible for me to afford the medicine I need. I don't know what to do now. Any help is appreciated. — Robert N. FL .This week, lawmakers released the text of legislation that will comprehensively reform the tax code if adopted, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) delivered letters to Capitol Hill outlining three tax-related changes that would strengthen the Social Security program. In addition, TSCL endorsed two new bills that would reduce prescription drug costs, and several key bills gained support. … Continued

  • Legislative Update August 2018

    Surveys by The Senior Citizens League find that older voters are strongly opposed to proposals that would cut benefits. For example, 73 percent support raising the amount of wages subject to Social Security payroll taxes by applying the full 12.4% payroll tax to wages above the taxable maximum —8,700 in 201Currently the highest earners — some 18 percent of all workers, pay no Social Security taxes on wages over the 8,700 maximum — that includes Members of Congress who receive an annual salary 4,000. Surveys have also found 90 percent strongly support allowing Medicare to negotiate drug costs. .The conclusions of this study were echoed by a different study published in the medical journal Neurology. .In 2017, the COLA was almost zero again, just 0.3%. The Medicare Part B premium rose to 4 for people not protected by hold harmless. Again the Part B premium of Barbara and the majority of Social Security recipients was adjusted. Barbara's monthly Medicare premium was adjusted to 8, taking every penny of her tiny COLA boost. … Continued

Congress has adjourned for a month-long recess and, with the November elections looming, many lawmakers will be holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts. TSCL encourages you to attend these events, since they present excellent opportunities to make your voice heard and to learn more about the candidates. To best be prepared, jot down a few questions that you would like to ask your elected officials. Below are ten examples – feel free to take them with you and share them with others. .TSCL Announces Support for New Legislation .The crackdown was unique not only for its scale, but also. No Lie! Affordable Care Act Not So Affordable .TSCL Calls On Congress To Close The Loop Hole ."Social Security benefits simply are not adequate when people with a Social Security benefit of even as much as ,288 per month are at risk of having their entire COLA used to cover rising Part B premiums," says Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. "That is what happened in 2018, and that left nothing to cover all other rising household costs," Johnson explains. .Unlike the temporary payroll tax cuts, which wouldn't affect Social Security's finances, the diversion of Social Security contributions into private accounts would substantially reduce the amount of money available to pay current beneficiaries. This "privatization" of Social Security contributions would drain the Social Security Trust Fund in short order and require the transfer of TRILLIONS of dollars from the U.S. Treasury into the Social Security Trust Fund in the coming decades to continue paying current benefits. .The Board of Trustees for Social Security and Medicare recently released a bombshell of a report that shows this essential health safety net is coming apart at the seams. The report estimates the Medicare trust fund will run dry in 2024, five years earlier than last year's estimate, and went on to explain, "The fund is not adequately financed over the next ten years." In an alternate estimate also released, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Chief Actuary Rick Foster painted an even more dire picture, reporting that Medicare's unfunded obligations could be significantly higher, and long-term costs could dramatically increase from the numbers provided in the Board of Trustee's report. .In addition, three new cosponsors signed on to the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (S. 1123 and H.R. 2305) this week, bringing the total up to twenty-four in the Senate and thirty-four in the House. If signed into law, the comprehensive bill would take a number of steps to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within the two programs – a problem that TSCL believes must be addressed in order to ensure that scarce program dollars are being spent properly. The new cosponsors are Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1), and Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-14). .In 2014, 218,000 mature workers indicated to the Bureau of Labor Statistics that they were discouraged by their jobs prospects. Many felt that they lacked the necessary skills or training for available jobs. We need to arm mature workers with better skills so they have the confidence to find a better job and earn a better wage.