News

  • Special Legislative Update January 2 2019

    On Thursday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a high-profile hearing on recent developments in the prescription drug market. According to the committee, thirty of the top-selling drugs in the United States experienced price increases of 76 percent between 2010 and 2014 – eight times the general inflation rate. ."The last thing struggling Americans need right now is a secret panel designed to slash their earned benefits and further undermine their economic security," House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said in a statement. "I wholeheartedly object to the TRUST Act and will fight against its nefarious inclusion in any upcoming relief package." .One of TSCL's goals this year was to end "surprise billing" – the situation that happens when some types of medical providers, including anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, and labs may not be contracted with your health insurer even though they provide services at a hospital or facility that is in your health plan's provider network. So, in addition to your expected out-of-pocket costs, you also get a bill for the difference between what your insurer has agreed to pay that provider and the amount the provider billed for their services. … Continued

  • Specialty Drugs Under Medicare Part D Nearly Two Times Higher Than Under Medicaid

    Recommended reading: "Get What's Yours - The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security," Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller, Paul Solman, and "How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide," Jane Bryant Quinn. .Can your husband do any other type of work? Even if your husband can't do the work he did in the past, the Social Security Administration will consider if there is other work he could do. .Budget Committee Debates Future of DI Program … Continued

With respect to Ad Servers: The Senior Citizens League does not partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt-out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically. .Under this bill, beneficiaries would get about more a month and the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E, would be used to more accurately measure inflation to ensure Social Security benefits keep up with the rise in costs for food, rent and medicine. .The CBO recently evaluated a number of different policy options for changing Social Security, noting three broad approaches that have received considerable attention, including: .Until then, TSCL will continue to monitor the movement of President Obama's immigration orders closely, since they could significantly affect the Social Security and Medicare programs if implemented. We will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. .By the end of this year, lawmakers could enact legislation that would trim Social Security benefits, threaten access to care for Medicare beneficiaries, and make millions of immigrants eligible for benefits based on illegal work. With so much currently at stake, it is more important than ever for seniors to learn about – and possibly challenge – the positions of their elected officials. .Every day approximately ten thousand people reach their retirement age. Many have spent a lifetime working to care for their families and save for retirement all while paying federal taxes. The taxes paid into Social Security and Medicare have helped make these programs successful for past generations of retirees. .Fraudulent Use of Social Security Numbers Is Not Penalized .Members of Congress receive their benefits through the District of Columbia's small business health options program (SHOP) exchange that was established under the 2010 health law. Effective January 1, 2014, Members of Congress had to give up their previous health benefits received through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) and get their insurance through the exchange. However, they remain eligible for employer contributions from the federal government (i.e., U.S. taxpayers) toward coverage, just as they previously received for their FEHB coverage. .According to a report in Bloomberg Government News, "Centrist Democrats in the House are pushing to shrink their party's health-care wish list to focus more on low-income Americans, a move backed by industry groups including dentists who say a narrower focus is better policy.