News

  • Ask Advisor Septemberoctober 2017

    All in all, it's too early to determine how much person-to-person transmission has occurred on plane flights. .This week, after receiving countless complains from seniors without cell phone access, the Social Security Administration removed the text requirement from the online account login process. In addition, lawmakers continued their seven-week congressional recess. .According to the 2020 Social Security Trustees report, which does not include estimates of the impact of the coronavirus, Social Security is expected to receive about 3.3 billion in payroll tax revenues this year. "That estimate is higher than it actually will be, since it was based on just a 5 percent unemployment rate," Johnson notes. "Currently the unemployment numbers are roughly four times higher than that," she points out. In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), allows employers to defer the employer portion of payroll taxes in 2020 for up to two years. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending April 6 2018

    For 80 years, Social Security has successfully kept millions of seniors who can no longer work out of poverty, as well as millions of disabled adults and children of deceased or disabled parents. About two-thirds of beneficiaries depend on Social Security for more than half of their income, and around one-third depend on Social Security for almost all of their income. .In recent years, inflation and COLAs have been virtually flat, averaging just 1.1% per year since 2010 — with no COLA at all in 2016 and just a 0.3% COLA in 201Slow growth in Social Security benefits, particularly when it continues over a period as long as 8 years, has a very significant impact on the overall amount of lifetime income that retirees can expect from Social Security. When retiree costs climb while benefits remain flat, people wind up having to dig more deeply into retirement savings (if they have any), spending more quickly than anticipated. Many people without other pensions or savings are forced into debt. About one in four low-income older Americans is dependent on programs that provide assistance with essentials like food and healthcare costs. .The fact is no one can know ahead of time what healthcare will be needed in the future, let alone the actual costs of the services that providers charge. Doctors frequently refer patients to expensive specialists, and order endless expensive tests without spending adequate time to explain why the tests are necessary, how much they cost, or the chances of improving treatments through their use. … Continued

This week, just hours ahead of the December 9th deadline, lawmakers in the House passed legislation to avoid a government shutdown and left town for the remainder of the year. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on January 3, 2017 to begin the 115th Congress. .TSCL is encouraged by the President's comments on drug prices, and we urge the administration to do everything in its power to bring down costs for consumers in the months ahead. In the meantime, our legislative team will continue to advocate for legislation like the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S. 771, H.R. 1776), which would take comprehensive steps to lower costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. .First, one new cosponsor – Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) – signed on to the Patient Right to Know Act (S. 2554), bringing the total up to seven. If adopted, this bipartisan bill would ensure that pharmacists are never prohibited from telling patients when their prescriptions would be cheaper out-of-pocket than through their insurance coverage. .Working longer, especially if you are earning more now than you did in jobs in the past, can also help increase your benefit because the Social Security Administration uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your initial retirement amount. If you've worked less than 35 years, then the extra years of work will help fill in the earning gaps in your record. .How Much Should You Spend on Vet Care for Your Pets? .The transition has set off dozens of new Medicare scams. To protect yourself from scam here's what to remember. There is nothing you need to do to get your card, and it does not cost anything. It will be shipped to you automatically. Scammers try to call beneficiaries on the phone and falsely claim that to get the new card you must provide Social Security, credit card, or bank account information, or Medicare benefits will be canceled. All of these claims are false. If you get a call like this or if anyone calls unsolicited, and claiming to be from Medicare, HANG UP. This is a scam. Once you get your new Medicare number, don't toss your old Medicare card in the trash — shred or cut it up into small pieces. .The definition of disability under Social Security is different from other programs. Social Security only pays benefits for total disability, and none are paid for partial or a short-term disability. To determine if your husband is disabled, the Social Security Administration will examine the following: .Vet services are estimated to cost at least 0 per year for dogs, and about 8 per year for cats, while many of us pay much more, even with so-called senior discounts. Diagnostic procedures can cost over ,000, while some surgeries can run in the thousands of dollars. .Questions To Ask The Candidates At Your Next Town Hall