News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending December 11 2015

    Ask your doctor if you have alternate insulin options to control your blood glucose levels. Novolin may be one of them, and it may be less expensive, but it acts differently than Lantus. Ask your doctor if there are any dietitians working with the clinic who can help you reduce your reliance on Lantus and thus the quantity you need to use. Perhaps you can take a combination of Novolin and Lantus. .You can also sign a petition to your Members of Congress, find contact information for your Senators and Representatives, and stay updated with the latest news on Capitol Hill. .Last year the House did pass a Medicare negotiations bill, which would cap out-of-pocket drug costs for older people and expand program benefits as well. But it has had no Republican support in the House, and it has no path forward in the Republican Senate because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to bring it up for a vote. In addition, the White House calls it unworkable. … Continued

  • The Senior Citizens League Weekly Update 12 13 19

    Members in the House have decided to offset the bill with a five-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. Those in the Senate have acknowledged that its chances of passing through their chamber are slim. Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, said of the House's approach: "The House passes a law – they're very good at legislation – but it dies in the Senate. The Senate won't even bring it up." Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) has said, "We're going to move forward in our own way." .Can Home Health Agencies Provide Rebates? .Not only does this put unwitting retirees' Medicare number in the hands of crooks who can then resell it to be used to file more false claims, but it can cause Medicare to deny future coverage for genetic testing when it's really needed, because the patient's record will show the test has already been performed. … Continued

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently issued a cost estimate citing the Joint Committee on Taxation's estimates of the cost for Social Security of about 6 billion in reduced SS revenues between 2020 -2021, increased revenues from repayments of 9 billion between 2022-2023, and about billion in higher outlays which would be due to administrative and debt costs. The CBO assumes that some companies will go out of business and would be unable to repay deferred taxes — about billion in Social Security revenues. The CBO warned that uncertainties its estimate of the CARES Act are high, and that actual outcomes could vary significantly. .According to consumer price index data through August, ten of the biggest price jumps for Social Security recipients over the past 12 months are illustrated in the following chart: .If signed into law, H.R. 1716 would prohibit unauthorized workers from receiving Social Security benefits based on work done while in the country illegally, using stolen, fake, or fraudulent Social Security numbers. TSCL was pleased to see support grow for H.R. 1716 this week, and we will continue to advocate for it on Capitol Hill in the coming months, since we feel strongly that protecting the integrity of the Social Security program is of utmost importance. .This week, Congressman John Larson (CT-1) – Chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee – introduced the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 860) along with the support of more than two hundred original House cosponsors. Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) also introduced the companion bill – S. 269 – in the Senate this week along with Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD). .Covid-19, for which there is neither a sure treatment nor vaccine, has created a perfect storm for fraudsters interested in preying on people who are vulnerable, frightened, and isolated. Their scams employ typical tactics of the defrauder's trade: empty promises of protection against a sometimes-fatal disease. ."If you look at the science across all diseases, you see few outbreaks" on planes, Allen said. "It's not the hotbed of infectivity that people think it is." .This week, lawmakers in both chambers voted to approve a temporary spending bill to fund the government past September 30th. In addition, The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL's) legislative team met with several Members of Congress and their aides, and two key bills gained support. .Resource online: StopMedicareFraud.gov .The Foundation for Sight and Sound. Through its Help America Hear Program the foundation provides hearing aids for people with limited financial resources. To learn if you qualify, visit: Help America Hear Program or call 631-366-3461.