News

  • Legislative Update August 2021

    Without changes, SSDI will only take in enough revenues to pay 80% of scheduled benefits by 201TSCL believes that suspected fraud is compounding the crisis in the disability program, and that Congress should cut fraud — not benefits of those who are truly in need. TSCL supports measures that would provide stiffer penalties for disability fraud, make eligibility criteria more objective and measurable, and step up reviews to determine whether people currently on the rolls remain entitled to benefits. ."Let's have some discussion about what the government would actually be measuring," Johnson says. "It would not be direct measurement of the growth in the costs of specific goods and services as is the case under the conventional CPI," she says. "Yet that's what most people think of when we talk about inflation," she says. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the chained CPI measures the amount of additional resources that an individual would need to maintain the same standard of living this year as last year. "That's not the same thing, especially for people dependent on fixed incomes," Johnson notes. .A new online survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) finds that older Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to take action to lower the cost of prescription drugs by reducing Medicare Part D's out-of-pocket spending requirements. Fifty-six percent of participants in the survey indicate that they spend more than 2 a year on prescription drugs. About one-out-of-five retirees spends more than 0 per month on prescription medications. … Continued

  • Category Legislative News Page 52

    Where Can I Get Help With What Medicare Doesn't Cover? . You are fortunate to already be in a Medicare drug plan that covers Lantus because not all Part D plans do. If your drug plan had been one of the several Medicare Part D plans that doesn't cover Lantus, this drug could cost as much as 0 per 100/ml vial. Many diabetics need about 3 vials per month to control their blood sugar, which would cost more than ,000 over a 12-month period. But since you are in a plan that covers Lantus and presumably the other drugs that you take, here's what to expect when you exhaust 2019's Part D initial coverage limit of ,820 in total drug costs, which includes what both you and your drug plan pays. .The first few months of this year were spent encouraging lawmakers to re-introduce critical legislation. So far, TSCL's most vital bills have been re-introduced, including the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act, the Notch Fairness Act, the Social Security Fairness Act, and the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act. More recently, TSCL's focus has shifted to building support for these and other bills, and already, many legislators have signed on to them as co-sponsors. … Continued

According to a 2013 Pew Research study, women tend to take time off work to have children or care for aging family members more often than men, and then wind up with zero or only low earnings during those years. This reduces the initial Social Security retirement benefit. If a woman works entirely as a stay-at-home mom or is a full-time caregiver and doesn't take a job with an employer or is not self-employed, this means she would only rely on survivor or spousal benefits based on her spouse's work record for financial support. .Notch Reform continues to be a major priority of seniors who turn 85 to 94 this year. After so many years of receiving lower Social Security benefits than other seniors having similar work and earnings histories, is it any wonder that the majority of "Notch Babies" believe Congress is waiting for the issue to quietly die away? .We worked with members of Congress who supported ending the practice, although we were unable to get legislation passed. One of our key allies in the fight was Sen. Lamar Alexander (R- Tenn.). He was a champion of our cause but, unfortunately, he is retiring at the end of this year. We will certainly miss his leadership on the issue but we pledge to continue to fight to end the practice in 2021. .Sources: Impact of Alien Nonpayment Provisions on Field Offices Along the Mexican Border, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, February 2011 A-08-10-20140. Impact of Unauthorized Employment on Social Security Benefits, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, December 2006, A-14-05-14042. .TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 4704, H.R. 4841, and H.R. 2212, and we will continue to advocate for their passage in the months ahead. For more information, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. .Key Bills Gain New Cosponsors .The opinions expressed in "Congressional Corner" reflect the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of TSCL. .The state of Virginia, however, offers retirees a chance to retain certain parts of coverage but "opt out" of others. If Paula "opted out" of Part D drug coverage, for example, and took medical, dental, and vision coverage alone, she would pay 6 per month. The portion of the premium for the drug coverage through the state of Virginia was a whopping 4 per month. .If you have a question about a treatment or test found online, talk to your health care provider or doctor. If you have a question about a medication, call your pharmacist or the FDA. The FDA's Division of Drug Information (DDI) will answer almost any drug question. DDI pharmacists are available by email, [email protected], and by phone, 1-855-543-DRUG (3784) and 301-796-3400.