News

  • Your Social Security Benefits Buying Less

    For more information about legislation that would strengthen the Social Security and Medicare programs, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. For frequent updates from TSCL on Capitol Hill and to view photos from this week, follow us on Twitter. .It remains to be seen how long the impasse will last, and whether or not Congressional leaders will lend their support to the bipartisan group's plan. Currently, no clear end to the shutdown is in sight. The Senate will remain in session over the weekend, and Members of the House have been told to stay in Washington for possible votes. The government shutdown should not have any effect on the daily lives of seniors, but TSCL will closely monitor the discussions for any developments, and we will continue to post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. .Cutting the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) by switching to a more slowly rising measure of inflation – the "chained" Consumer Price Index (CPI) – is currently one of the most popular deficit reduction proposals on the table. Backed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle – including President Obama – proponents are calling it a small "technical correction." But "chaining" the COLA would compound over the course of a retirement and, after ten years, it would amount to an per month benefit cut for the average retired married couple – an amount that most seniors simply cannot afford to lose. … Continued

  • Can Afford Spend Healthcare

    Do not respond to calls or texts from unknown numbers, or any others that appear suspicious. And remember that government agencies, banks, credit card companies, or utility companies will never call you to ask for personal information or money. .Even though I'm not on Medicare yet, these new quality initiatives will, one way or another will affect most patients, even those like me who are still under the age of 65 as doctors reorganize. I felt dumped. .However, the statisticians behind it at the University of Washington have since changed their methods, and they now estimate that doing away with social distancing measures could entail vast numbers of deaths, and that widespread mask-wearing in public could save tens of thousands of lives. … Continued

Information about critical issues affecting seniors ., Editor .Poll after poll has shown the American public supports expanding Social Security. It,s time Congress listens to the American people who want to expand Social Security, not the Wall Street millionaires who want to cut it. .Until then, many Members of Congress will attend local events and hold town hall meetings. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) urges its members and supporters to attend town halls in the coming weeks, since they are an excellent opportunity for constituents to communicate with their elected officials and have their most pressing concerns addressed. .The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for these three bills this week, and we thank the new cosponsors for their support. In the months ahead, The Senior Citizens League will continue to advocate for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, the Social Security 2100 Act, and the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, and we urge Congress to enact them this year. .Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment – Ensuring for a fair, accurate, and guaranteed COLA. .The credit for qualifying children is fully refundable, which means that taxpayers can benefit from the credit even if they don't have earned income or don't owe any income taxes. .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. .On Wednesday, after a nine-hour markup, lawmakers on the House Budget Committee approved a .9 trillion resolution to fund the federal government through fiscal 201The proposal includes .5 trillion in spending cuts, including 9 billion to the Medicare program. To accomplish this, it would transform Medicare into a premium-support program over a seven-year period, where beneficiaries would be given vouchers to purchase private insurance from a list of authorized plans.