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  • H R 4998 Medicare Advantage Participant Bill Of Rights Act

    If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. .This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for two key bills that would strengthen the Social Security program. .Since people often move when they retire, under locality pay adjustment rates, the area they choose to live in during retirement could significantly impact the amount of Social Security they receive. Would retirees crowd into areas of the country with high locality pay adjustments? … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending September 8 2017

    The Medicare portion of spending, officials say, grew 6.2 percent in 2011, after growing just 4.3 percent in 20A major factor holding down costs was the recession. As tens of thousands of working seniors lost jobs, and their healthcare coverage, other seniors were hit by the crash of retirement savings and real estate values. This was followed by two years without any cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2010 or 2011. .A draft of the order is circulating inside the government and was obtained by Bloomberg News. "It is critical that we reduce our dependence on foreign manufacturers for essential medicines, medical countermeasures" to "ensure sufficient and reliable long-term domestic manufacturing" that prevents shortages and supplies to "mobilize our nation's public health industrial base" when needed, says the nine-page draft. .During his campaign for President, and several times since, he has promised that he would protect Social Security and Medicare. Yet a payroll tax cut would result in untold damage to the stability of both programs and bring them dangerously close to insolvency. … Continued

Do you have a low benefit and think you may be affected by hold harmless? TSCL would like to hear from you! Contact us at . .An immigration program launched by the Obama Administration two years ago has issued valid, work-authorized Social Security numbers to about 600,000 applicants who attest to be in the country illegally. The program, known as "Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals," is one of a series of administrative amnesty initiatives by President Obama to stop deportations of immigrants and let undocumented immigrants who meet the qualifications work in this country despite illegal status. Now immigration activists are pressuring President Obama and Members of Congress to expand the Deferred Action program, or pass immigration reform. .Taxpayers who receive pension payments. .Last week we wrote about a new bill that was expected to be introduced this week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that would lower prescription drug prices on some of the most expensive drugs. The plan would allow the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate the price of up to 250 drugs per year, and the lower prices would apply to people both with private insurance and those on Medicare. .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." .The group said in a statement that the rule, which had been proposed and then left to languish by the administration last year after the Congressional Budget Office said it would cost taxpayers 7 billion, circumvents the regular rule-making process. .This week, one new cosponsor, Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8) signed on to the Public Servant Retirement Protection Act (H.R. 2797), bringing the cosponsor total up to eight. If signed into law, H.R. 2797 would repeal the windfall elimination provision (WEP) from the Social Security Act and establish a new formula for equalizing benefits for those with non-covered earnings. TSCL is very supportive of the Public Servant Retirement Protection Act since it would go a long way in granting dedicated public servants the retirement security they deserve. We were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on this week, and we hope that support continues to grow in the coming months. .Senate Committee Discusses SGR Alternatives .TSCL Goal of new Drug Pricing Legislation Left out of new House Bill