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  • Comprehensive Immigration Reform Testimony Before Congress

    How frequently is this test recommended for a person of my age and medical history? .An alternate measure of inflation, the Supplemental Poverty Measure, indicates that the number of older adults who are living in poverty is larger than what the "official" poverty measure reports, according to a recent analysis from the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation. The way in which the government measures poverty is important because eligibility for critical low–income programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and rental subsidies is determined by income, and tied to the "official" U.S. poverty measure. A greater number of needy people would qualify for safety-net programs like Medicaid, if the government were to use the more accurate Supplemental Poverty Measure to determine eligibility. .Social Security Notch Legislation Introduced … Continued

  • Social Security Medicare Questions January 2013

    Due to record-low growth in health care costs, the board hasn't been triggered to begin making recommendations to Congress yet, and it currently has no appointed members. Nonetheless, many lawmakers feel that such critical policy-making decisions should be left solely in the hands of elected representatives, and they hope to repeal it long before it is needed. .Please visit our Notch Reform Section for the most up-to-date information. .Nearly 1.5 million teachers and other public servants see their earned Social Security benefits reduced by as much as 40 percent due to the Windfall Elimination Provision. What do you feel should be done about this? … Continued

It's also important to note that airplanes' high-powered filtration systems aren't sufficient on their own to prevent outbreaks. If an airline isn't keeping middle seats open or vigilantly enforcing mask use, flying can actually be rather dangerous. Currently, the domestic airlines keeping middle seats open include Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest and JetBlue. .During last fall's debt limit deal, Members of Congress passed legislation containing un-debated, secret provisions that made two major changes to Social Security benefit claiming strategies. The changes cut the expected retirement income of some married couples already at full entitlement age. Do you believe entitlement cuts are necessary in exchange for your vote to lift the debt limit in the future? .Hearings Over Controversial Healthcare "Cutting" Board .This issue has just popped up and TSCL will be in contact with members of Congress to do all we can to prevent these looming cuts and we will keep you advised as to how things are going. .In a letter of endorsement, Art Cooper – Chairman of The Senior Citizens League's Board of Trustees – wrote: "TSCL salutes you for introducing legislation that would make COLAs more accurate, reduce senior poverty by boosting monthly benefits, cut taxes for millions of beneficiaries, and ask wealthier Americans to contribute to the program more fairly. Together, these changes would strengthen Social Security benefits while extending the solvency of the trust funds for decades to come." .Often, the most consequential decisions are those we make only once or twice in a lifetime. But decision – making itself is a skill that takes practice. That means we can get better at it. Even with practice though, it's almost impossible to forecast whether our decisions will work out. Often there are hidden factors at play, influencing our decisions, of which we may not even be aware. Learning about how our minds could be sabotaged, and how we could be nudged in wrong direction, can help us improve our decisions. One of these nudges is called the "anchor effect." .Do not engage with these calls or provide any personal information! If you get such a call or any call demanding your Social Security or bank account number, hang up. Don't respond to any recorded message. If you tend to get such calls, consider setting your phone up to allow an answering machine or voice mail to record or prescreen your calls. .Eliminating income taxes on Social Security benefits. Millions of middle-income Social Security recipients currently pay income taxes on a portion of their Social Security benefits. According to a recent survey of TSCL's members, 56 percent of older households pay taxes on their benefits, and that number is projected to rise in the coming years. Eliminating this income tax would provide millions of middle-income beneficiaries with much-needed tax relief. .One of the uncertain Democrats is Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. His state is home to many big-name pharmaceutical companies and he voted against a measure to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices in the Senate Finance Committee in 2019.