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  • The Senior Citizens League Update 12 20 2019

    Unless something is done, TSCL calculates there may be no COLA for next year. .Of the more than 1,200 people who participated, 766 sent in comments. Most described their personal challenges in meeting their healthcare expenses. In what may be a sign of the times, a surprising number indicated they are working far longer than they ever thought they would, even into their late 70's and 80's, because they don't have enough to live on after paying their healthcare costs. Even seniors who do have good Medicare supplemental and drug coverage described how they keep costs in check by asking their doctor to prescribe generics, filling prescriptions for 90 days, splitting pills, and sticking to preferred pharmacies. .The following Members of Congress, among others, will hold town halls this week: Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Mike Lee (UT), Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-3), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4). … Continued

  • Government Shut Down A Message To Tscl Members And Supporters

    This study looks at 39 expenditures that are typical for people age 65 and up, comparing the growth in the prices of these goods and services to the growth in the annual COLAs. Based on consumer price index data through April 2021, it appears that the next COLA will be considerably higher in 202The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) is forecasting that the 2022 COLA could be 4.7%, making it the highest since 200But with such a high level of inflation volatility, this estimate could change several times before the COLA is announced in October 2021. .On Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed the nation in his first State of the Union. In his speech, the President reflected on the strong economic growth of the country and he shared his hopes for the year ahead. The President said he plans to push .5 trillion in infrastructure investments, to secure the southern border with Mexico, and to offer a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million immigrants known as "Dreamers." .The FDA has also seen unauthorized fraudulent test kits for COVID-19 being sold online. Currently, the only way to be tested for COVID-19 is to talk to your health care provider. … Continued

In 2016 there was no COLA at all, and in 2017 the COLA was just 0.3 percent. During that time a special provision of law known as "hold harmless" protected about 70 percent of Social Security recipients from reductions to their Social Security benefits due to increasing Medicare Part B premiums. .Tragically, there are people who shamelessly try to take advantage of emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic to cheat other people out of money. Thankfully, federal agencies are mounting a multi-front attack on scams and quack cures in the wake of the crisis, an unprecedented coordinated effort that could continue for years to come. .Nursing homes not being checked .Proponents of cutting benefits argue that Social Security, as it is currently structured, is unstainable because there are fewer workers to support current retirees. Social Security is estimated to run short of funds in about 15 years. Without changes and soon, Social Security benefits would have to be reduced by about 22% to match the amount of revenues that the program receives. .The audit is part of long-delayed plans to recover money that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says it overpaid to plans that exaggerated the severity of illnesses of patients treated. The problem is one that the federal government has struggled with, unsuccessfully, for more than a decade. According to one estimate that appeared in Health Affairs, CMS will overpay Medicare Advantage plans by 0 billion over the next decade if the current "coding intensity adjustment" system remains in place. .Trump's administration "has decided to pursue a radical and dangerous policy to set prices based on rates paid in countries that he has labeled as socialist, which will harm patients today and into the future," Stephen Ubl, the head of PhRMA, said in a statement. .The Effect of Economic Conditions Was Not Foreseen, and Therefore Could Not Have Been Intended by Congress .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (MP) – signed on to the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act (H.R. 1030), bringing the total up to twenty. If signed into law, the CPI-E Act would base the Social Security COLA upon the spending patterns of seniors. Currently, it's based upon the way young, urban workers spend their money – a method that underestimates the spending inflation that seniors experience each year. .Please help us continue our important work on behalf of senior citizens and retirees. Make a secure, online donation today.