News

  • Legislative Update July Advisor

    The further we read into the Affordable Care Act, the more we learn it doesn't address the issues of rising costs and access to quality care. A majority of my patients were either Medicare beneficiaries or Medicaid recipients. I understand the importance of these issues and want you to know that I am working hard to ensure everyone, especially seniors, has access to quality care and to keep the Federal Government out of the way when it comes to making the important decisions that affect your health and well being. .To strengthen Social Security and Medicare, 84% of respondents strongly agreed that Congress should focus on getting Americans back to work. Jobs and the payroll taxes paid by people during their working years finance the benefits received by today's Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries. While jobs were the top deficit fix, only 11% agree with cutting the Social Security payroll tax as a means to generate employment. Congressional leadership and the President are battling over spending cuts and higher taxes that will be needed to avoid hitting a "fiscal cliff" by the end of this year. .In 2005 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report documenting the growth of the ESF saying a number of factors contribute to the earnings reports, particularly minimal work site immigration enforcement(16) efforts. The GAO also reported that the percentage of foreign-born persons receiving reinstatements has grown dramatically over time from about 8% in 1986 to nearly 21% in 200The country of birth of foreign-born receiving the greatest number reinstatements is Mexico. … Continued

  • Congress Passes Defense Bill But President Trump Says He Will Veto

    Senator Richard Shelby (AL) – Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee – told reporters this week that a shutdown is possible. He said: "I'll just say that I don't think it's a good idea to shut the government down, period. But people are going to posture. And it could happen, it's happened before … I don't believe a shutdown's in my interest, the president's interest, the people's interest, either party's interest … But some people look at it differently." .CBO's current estimate of the Old Age and Survivor's Insurance fund's exhaustion date is 2031, one year earlier than its estimate was in 201If current laws generally did not change, CBO estimated the balance of the Disability Insurance fund would be exhausted in 2026. .For this reason, TSCL announced its support for the Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act back in March, and our legislative team has been busy advocating for it on Capitol Hill. The bill's sponsors expect the House Ways and Means Committee to take it up before the end of the year, and they are hopeful that both chambers will pass it shortly thereafter. For updates, visit and, on our new Facebook page, at www.Facebook.com/SeniorsLeague. … Continued

In the final weeks of the 111th Congress, TSCL will continue working to prevent cuts to Social Security benefits that are already insufficient for too many of our nation's seniors. .This study illustrates why legislation is needed to provide a more fair and adequate COLA. To put it in perspective, for every 0 worth of groceries a retiree could afford in 2000, that individual can only buy worth today. .As you may have heard, Social Security recipients received a cost-of-living increase this year. This is good news for seniors, but it's not good enough. ."This is a major reason why Social Security checks don't keep up with rising Medicare costs," explains Johnson. "In fact, Social Security benefits have lost 34 percent of buying power since 2000," Johnson adds. .Congress Averts Government Shutdown .As part of the economic stimulus bill just passed by Congress those sharp cuts have been put on pause. .Providing help in emergencies, such as utility shutoffs, and .House Postpones Thursday AHCA Vote . Contact your doctor's office and alert them to this dilemma. Ask if they have emergency samples of Lantus and your blood pressure medicine that they can provide, or if they can give you the contact number of programs that can help you.