News

  • What Is Notch Feed

    A minimal source of supplemental benefits for seniors with extremely low benefits (Supplemental Security Income, or SSI). .Before Obamacare "Glitch," There Was The Notch Glitch .Senior housing experts say they frequently hear clients say they want to live in their own homes. But over time, it can become a great burden, especially when people don't have family that lives close by. Health and physical changes can make it difficult to climb stairs, keep the home clean, and keep up with paying bills. There may be a growing need for help with simple chores like driving to the pharmacy or grocery store. Home maintenance and repairs can even become a source of exploitation from unscrupulous vendors. … Continued

  • Benefit Bulletin May 2016

    Finally, one new cosponsor – Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-20) – signed on to the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act (H.R. 574) this week bringing the total up to thirty-seven. If signed into law, H.R. 574 would repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR), which is the flawed formula that is currently used to determine reimbursements for physicians who treat Medicare patients. Adopting H.R. 574 would bring increased stability to the Medicare program for both physicians and beneficiaries. .Over the past five years, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has reached an all-time low, averaging just 1.5 percent. Seniors, however, have reported that their living expenses are higher than ever. In fact, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) has found that seniors have lost almost one-third of their purchasing power since 2000, and their expenses have increased more than twice as fast as the annual COLA. Today, it is more clear than ever that the Social Security COLA is failing to help seniors keep up. .The coronavirus pandemic has also raised a new issue of concern regarding the price of any new treatment or vaccine for the virus. Congress is pumping billions of federal dollars into research and efforts to spur the production of treatments and a vaccine for Covid-19 but there are no price controls as part of the effort. That means you will have already paid, in-part, for any new vaccine or treatment for the virus. … Continued

For more information, visit the website of the National Academy of Social Insurance at www.NASI.org and download a copy of "When Should I Take Social Security Benefits? ". Or watch a video "It Pays To Wait". .Assistance in paying for low cost home weatherization to make your home more energy efficient. .SSA Announces 2019 Social Security COLA of 2.8 Percent .Both bills were adopted by the Senate earlier this year and by the House two weeks ago. At a signing ceremony on Wednesday, President Trump said: "This is very strong legislation to end these ‘gag clauses' once and for all … Our citizens deserve to know the lowest price available at our pharmacies, and now that's what they'll be getting." .Since 2009, COLAs have been at record lows, averaging just 1.4% — less than half the more typical 3% that COLAs averaged in the prior decade. According to the TSCL analysis, over the last seven years, average Social Security benefits will be about 3 a month lower in 2016 than if inflation had been the more normal levels of about 3%. For example, had a married couple — retired since 2009 and receiving about ,330 per month received a more typical 3% COLA — their total Social Security income would be about ,700 more than it has actually been since 20009. .Require Medicare beneficiaries to pay a higher portion of the Part B premium. Premiums for Part B cover physician and hospital outpatient services. The premiums of most seniors, those with incomes under ,000, equal 25 percent of Medicare's total cost of services, and the federal government covers the other 75 percent of the cost. This proposal would require seniors to pay 35 percent instead - like higher-income seniors do now. The 2010 Medicare Trustee report estimates that Part B premiums at the 35% level would be 9.30 per month in 2012. .What should you do? If you still use paper tax returns, don't wait for the forms and instructions to show up in your mailbox. The IRS did not send any out this year. Visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov for forms, instructions, and to file online. Free tax assistance services may be available in your area, or call your local IRS taxpayer assistance office. .Sources: "Relief From Deportation: Demographic Profile Of The DREAMers Potentially Eligible Under The Deferred Action Policy," Migration Policy Institute, August 2012. .Sources: "Issues and Challenges In Measuring And Improving The Quality Of Health Care," The Congressional Budget Office, December 201"What Is Value-Based Healthcare?" NEJM Catalyst, January 1, 201"After Single Payer Failed, Vermont Embarks On A Big Health Care Experiment," Carolyn Johnson, The Washington Post, September 17, 2017.