News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending August 14 2015

    The Senior Citizens League enthusiastically supports the six bills listed above, and we were pleased to see support grow for them this week. For more information about these and other TSCL-backed bills, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. .Medicare Advantage, and its predecessor Medicare+Choice —both known as Medicare Part "C" — however, has no clear track record of saving the government money. In fact, for a number of years, Medicare Advantage cost more than traditional Medicare. .I don't have dental insurance and pay out of pocket. I know I will need to get some expensive work done at some point in the next year or two. Is dental insurance worth the cost? How do you go about getting a good dental plan? … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending September 28 2012

    At the hearing, the Ranking Member of the Committee – Senator Bob Casey (PA) – presented a bill he introduced called the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act. If adopted, his bill would simplify the Medicare enrollment process and help those nearing eligibility avoid costly penalties for late enrollment. .On behalf of The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL's) one million members nation-wide – 4,803 of whom are your constituents – I urge you and your colleagues in Congress to reject the elimination of the medical expense deduction. .The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings this week: Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA), Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Pat Roberts (KS), Rep. Garret Graves (LA-6), Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Rep. Will Hurd (TX-23), Rep. Diane Black (TN-6), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1), Rep. Kevin Cramer (ND), Rep. Raul Labrador (ID-1), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-2), Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4), Rep. Tom Rice (SC-7), Rep. Mimi Walters (CA-45), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-4), Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-6), Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-4), Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9), and Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-9). … Continued

Understand what is covered and what isn't. First the good news: You are probably covered in case a meteorite strikes your home. Now the bad: Your coverage probably doesn't protect you from floods or even a sewer back up. You may be underinsured. Insurance industry surveys indicate, for example, that 43% of homeowners believe damage from heavy rain flooding is covered under the standard insurance policy. It isn't. To be protected you must purchase supplemental flood insurance or other types of riders to your homeowners policy. The same may be true of wild fires, mudslides, sink holes and other natural disasters. If you live in a high-risk zone, consider adding flood or other supplemental coverage. .Social Security recipients can look forward to receiving an annual cost – of – living adjustment (COLA) of about 1.8 percent in 2018, according to an estimate released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). "A COLA of that amount would make it the highest since 2012 — but even at 1.8 percent, the raise is less than half of the 4 percent that COLAs averaged from 2000-2009," says TSCL's Social Security policy analyst, Mary Johnson. .But it's no "small change," warns The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. In fact, it could reduce lifetime Social Security benefits by tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement. .In addition to advocating for these three important issues, Legislative Liaison Joe Kluck delivered letters to lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee urging them to advance comprehensive proposals that would enhance Social Security benefits and strengthen the solvency of the Trust Funds past 203Both the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 860) and the Social Security Expansion Act (H.R. 1170) would reform the program responsibly, without cutting benefits for current or future retirees. .The new effort could be part of a second package later this year and TSCL will closely examine the legislation once it is finally developed to see if it accomplishes our goals and whether we can support it. .TSCL supports legislation that would raise the taxable maximum. "TSCL believes that cutting Social Security benefits can't be justified when moderate payroll tax adjustments can keep the system solvent for decades," says TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton. "Requiring everyone to pay their full share would add years of solvency to the Social Security," Benton says. .Does Medicare provide coverage for eye care services or eyeglasses? .Before spending the money, you may be able to accomplish a lot of your own retirement planning by exploring free or low-cost resources in your community. Try starting with educational programs offered by your local senior center, community college or public universities. Ask about classes and workshops specifically designed to help people over 60 learn about and think through major aspects of retirement and aging. Here are some questions to help get you started: .Drug Executives Refuse to meet with Trump