News

  • Obama Administration Releases Thousands Of Illegal Immigrants Feed

    This week, the Senate's Gang of Eight was busy defending its comprehensive immigration reform plan, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw two key bills gain support. .Payment Reform Bill Passes First Hurdle .However, it is possible that some doctors and hospitals may opt not to accept Medicare due to lower cost reimbursements or providers may also try to pass extra costs to consumers. … Continued

  • Private Medicare Plans Too Costly Congress Told 2 Feed

    TSCL is very supportive of the PRIME Act, since we believe that the failure to manage fraud results in higher taxes for all and higher premiums for Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, at a time when many deficit hawks are considering cuts to programs like Medicare and Medicaid, we believe it is critically important to ensure that scarce program dollars are being spent properly. TSCL looks forward to working with the sponsors of the PRIME Act to help build support for it, and we are hopeful that Congress will pass it into law by the end of the 113th Congress. .Despite tightening the law, Congress did not fix a policy loophole that would be inadvertently triggered with the passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. When determining entitlement for insured status, and when calculating the initial retirement benefit, the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses all reported earnings from covered employment in the United States, even if the earnings were from illegal or "unauthorized" work. (2) .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

Survey participants also support making changes to modestly increase benefits by using a senior CPI, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), to determine the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA), and to provide a boost of about per month. TSCL is meeting with Members of Congress to enact these changes. With 73% of survey participants reporting that their household expenses in 2015 rose by more than a month, while average Social Security benefits are stuck around ,250 due to low or no COLAs, TSCL is making a strong case that older Americans need a raise! .If we get 100,000 signatures, we know that the President will hear our concerns because the White House will have to answer our petition. .Provides better payroll data collection to reduce improper payments due to work. .There are two points to remember about the first rule: Medicare has always been barred from negotiating prices directly with drug companies; and other countries regulate their health care spending more heavily, including for prescription drugs. .How Would Higher Medicare Costs Affect My Retirement Budget? .In addition, one new cosponsor – Rep. Jared Nadler (NY-10) – signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 973) this week, bringing the total up to 15The bill, if signed into law, would repeal two Social Security provisions – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – that unfairly reduce or eliminate the earned Social Security benefits of millions of retired teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other state or local government employees each year. TSCL believes the two provisions must be repealed as soon as possible so that public servants receive the retirement security they have earned and deserve. .Despite these known challenges, President Trump recently signed an Executive Order which allows the deferral of payroll taxes, including Medicare taxes, if the taxpayer is affected by a federally-declared emergency like the coronavirus. The Executive Order doesn't apply to all workers, only those earning up to 0,000 annually. The average worker will be able to put off paying just under 0 for the term of the deferral, September 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020, or about per week. The move is only temporary, and workers will be required to repay the taxes next year. .2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or .Which is right for you? Medigap policies tend to have have higher premiums, but pay most of your out-of-pocket costs, so your costs stay more consistent and predictable. You are also free to use any healthcare provider that accepts Medicare. If you choose Medigap you will also need to enroll in a separate Part D prescription drug plan. Medicare Advantage plans tend to have lower premiums and include drug coverage, but you will have deductibles, as well as co-pays and cost sharing for most services. Hospitalizations could be costly. Many Medicare Advantage plans are managed care and require that you use participating providers to receive reimbursement for your care.