Since the tax brackets and the standard deduction wouldn't grow as fast as in the past, more people will get pushed into higher tax brackets more quickly when their income rises. The legislation would use a more slowly growing measure of inflation, the Chained Consumer Price Index, to make adjustments. .High drug or health plan premiums don't necessarily purchase better coverage. For example, the generic blood pressure medication Lisinopril is one of the most commonly used prescriptions by Medicare beneficiaries. The least expensive Part D plan in my area charges Using statistical data from the Social Security Administration, TSCL estimates about 88 percent of Social Security beneficiaries have received benefits during the 2009 – 2015 period and have been impacted the hardest. "With 64 percent of older Americans depending on Social Security for over half of their income, going without a COLA is a loss of income that most beneficiaries simply can't be expected to bear," Cates says. Spiking medical costs are causing retirees to go into debt, and run through their savings," he adds. .Changes are looming for Medicare and Social Security. Make your opinion count. Visit TSCL online at and take our monthly poll. We'll announce the results in upcoming issues of this newsletter. .Participants in The Senior Citizens League's surveys indicate that household medical expenses consume a significant portion of their monthly income. More than 39 percent of respondents to a recent survey say that they spend more than 0 per month on Medicare and other healthcare costs. In 2020, the average Social Security benefit is ,460, but the 1.6 percent COLA raised the average Social Security benefit by only .40 per month this year. The following chart illustrates ten of the fastest growing retiree costs since 2000. .Members of Congress remained in their home states and districts this week for Tuesday's mid-term elections. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill to begin the "lame duck" session on Wednesday, November 12th, following the Veterans Day holiday. .People frequently say they are "not ready" to move into a senior living facility, but the thoughtful solo adults who cherish their independence might be convinced that, by making decisions ahead of time when they are still healthy, is how one preserves that autonomy. Waiting until a health crisis could mean winding up where someone else decides she or he needs to be. .Second, one new cosponsor – Representative Bradley Byrne (AL-1) – signed on to the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 1205), bringing the total up to 195 cosponsors. If adopted, this critical bill would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) – two provisions that unfairly reduce the Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, police officers, and other state and local government employees each year. Its passage would ensure that retired public servants receive the Social Security benefits they have earned and deserve. .Congress this week was sort of the entire U.S. in miniature form. The Senate came back to town to conduct business, but not all Senators agreed with that. Most Senators followed the rules for wearing face masks, but not all. Not all committee hearings were attended by all the members. Most Senators were careful about following the protocols that have been recommended by health care professionals, but not all. .The Senior Citizens League agrees that the Social Security 2100 Act is a fair and responsible solution to the financing challenges facing the program, and we are proud to have endorsed the it. In the months ahead, we will advocate for its passage tirelessly, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of this year. .How have you been affected by high Medicare Part B premium increases? To participate in a survey, visit The Senior Citizens League's website at . copay for Tier 1 generics, and the monthly premium is just .50 in the zip code used in this search. The most expensive plan charges a co-pay of .19, and the plan has a monthly premium of .30 — a difference of ,055.88 for the entire year counting premiums! .TSCL's legislative agenda for the next two years includes the following issues, among others: .Both bills are now awaiting the signature of President Donald Trump. He is expected to sign them into law in the very near future. The Senior Citizens League is pleased that lawmakers successfully advanced legislation that will protect the American public from "gag clauses" that result in higher out-of-pocket costs at pharmacies. .For example, RMDs for retirees who turned 70 ½ in 2019 would have been based on the value of their retirement accounts on December 31, 201At that time the Dow was 28,462 compared to 24,101 on April 1, 2020, when their RMD was due. However, the CARES Act waiver applies to this group as well as people like you who turn 70 ½ in 2020. .While you may hear a lot of shouting about the payroll tax cut over the next few months, don't let it distract you from the real threat to Social Security – namely, radical plans to convert Social Security from the current guaranteed retirement benefit for everyone to a risky gamble on Wall Street that would benefit only a select few at best. .If signed into law, H.R. 242 would require the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Currently, Medicare is prohibited from doing so despite the fact that other federal health programs are required to. If adopted, H.R. 242 would go a long way in reducing the costs of lifesaving medications for millions of Part D beneficiaries, and it would result in lower spending on prescription drugs for the Medicare program. .Last week White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows announced that President Trump would soon be signing three executive orders regarding prescription drug prices. While he did not provide any further information the Washington Post published an article about what one of the orders is likely to be. .TSCL enthusiastically supports the Credit for Caring Act, the Social Security Fairness Act, and the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, and we were pleased to see support grow for each one this week. To receive frequent progress updates on these and other Social Security, Medicare, and family caregiving bills, follow TSCL on Twitter.