News

  • January 2013 The Human Resources Social Network

    For 4 per month the state of Virginia retirees should be able to purchase the most comprehensive drug coverage available nationally. But that was not the case. In fact, the drug benefits offered for 4 per month were almost identical to what Paula could purchase directly on her own for just .70 per month. The cost is so much lower because the federal government pays subsidies that cover an average of 75% of the cost of the Part D premium. Paula could not enjoy that savings if she received her Part D coverage through the state of Virginia retiree plan. If Paula chose to "opt out," she could find an even less costly plan that provided better coverage for the drugs she currently took. .TSCL is strongly opposed to any cut in the payroll tax and we have lobbied aggressively against one. The 2020 reports from the Social Security and Medicare Trustees projected that the Social Security trust funds will become insolvent in only 15 years. At that time, all Social Security beneficiaries would face a 21% benefit cut in benefits that would eventually go to 27%. .The legislation fully covers the cost of providing the emergency payments by closing corporate compensation loopholes, which provide enormous tax breaks for the CEO of the nation's top corporations. By closing the loophole, the bill also would add substantial new revenue to Social Security extending the solvency of both the retirement and disability insurance trust funds. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending June 23 2017

    A balanced budget amendment recently under consideration in Congress would have a disproportionate impact on Social Security and Medicare. These programs are responsible for about 40 percent federal spending in 201House Speaker Paul Ryan recently said he hopes to overhaul entitlement spending before he leaves Congress at the end of his term. .Policy experts question how patients will make up postponed care (some services can't be made up) and the degree to which delays in getting care will have adverse health consequences. Both of these concerns suggest that another type of surge for hospitals—the aftermath of postponed care — may be coming next. Cutting hospital reimbursements now could potentially limit access to care when Medicare beneficiaries need it the most. .Social Security provides the income and access to health care that seniors rely on each and every day. They are benefits my generation has earned – and future generations have been promised. We must work together and make sure our country keeps this promise. … Continued

The President's final memo waives all interest on student loans held by the federal government through the end of 2020 and allows people to delay payments until Dec. 3This will help those who are repaying student loans. .Congress has spent much of its time over the past two years locked in a rigidly - partisan standoff over the federal budget deficit. But TSCL's new 2012 Senior Survey results suggest that lawmakers may not be paying close enough attention to senior voters — something that may come back to haunt them come November elections. They may be retired but, to seniors, jobs — not benefit cuts — are the key to cutting the federal deficit. .In new versions of this scam, scammers are impersonating the Social Security Administration using the Social Security Administration's own phone number as the incoming number on your caller ID. This is called "spoofing." Should you receive a call from someone alleging to be from the Social Security Administration you may report that information to the Social Security Office of Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271, or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report. .Source: "Audits Of Some Medicare Advantage Plans Reveal Pervasive Overcharging," Fred Schulte, Center For Public Integrity," NPR, August 29, 201"Medicare Advantage: Fundamental Improvements Needed in CMS's Effort to Recover Substantial Amounts of Improper Payments, Government Accountability Office, April 2016. .Gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household .TSCL strongly supports adequate administrative budgets for SSA, and we hope that Congress will act with the best interest of seniors in mind when making funding decisions in the weeks ahead. We will follow the appropriations process closely in the coming weeks, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. .The federal government negotiates prescription drug prices for Medicaid and for veterans, but it is not allowed to negotiate lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. Do you support this policy? .This week, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8) introduced H.R. 239, The Notch Baby Act. The Notch Baby Act, if signed into law, would grant an improved benefit computation for those born between 1917 and 1926, Notch Babies. The formula is slightly different than that used in Rep. Ralph Hall's (TX-4) Notch Fairness Act and does not have a cap on costs. .Currently doctors are paid for every service they provide, giving a big incentive for wasteful duplication. Patients wind up getting repeated tests, X-rays, CT scans and procedures involving expensive computerized equipment.