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    The resolution would also allow committees to meet remotely using interactive technology and let members cast votes remotely during the legislative process. .Where to find premium information. Rather than calling insurance agencies for quotes, first visit the website of your state insurance commission and look for a publication listing all the state-approved Medigap insurers and Medigap plans (A through N) sold in your state. The information includes the insurer's company name, phone number and website address, and more crucially, the current premiums for the plans (A through N). Since all insurers are required to cover the same benefits under specific plans (A through N) then all you need to do is select the plan covering the benefits you are interested in (such as Plan F), then find a good insurer with the lowest premium for the plan you are shopping for. Not all states have all plans. Calls to the insurer are necessary to confirm premium quotes for your zip code. For Part D Plans, or Medicare Advantage plans, use the health and drug plan finder on the Medicare website at www.Medicare.gov. It's important to select those plans by selecting the lowest-costing plan based on the prescriptions you currently take. .Some want legislation to correct inequities for those born from 1917 through 1921, while others believe Notch reform must include the years through 192It is important to remember that hundreds of our elected officials agree that there is a Notch, and that Notch Victims deserve justice. However, some interpret the complicated rules affecting Social Security differently from others. We respect and continue to support all Members of Congress who are courageous enough to advocate Notch Reform of any sort. To read more on the Notch, click here: What is the "Notch"? … Continued

  • Update For May 29 2021

    Only one other time in recent years, in 2009 at the peak of Great Recession job losses, has the AWI ever gone negative. The 2009 AWI dipped by 1.51% and retirees who were born in 1949 were affected. Although the problem was known at the time, the reductions to benefits were considered small and Congress took no action to prevent those reductions. .The Grassley-Wyden package would create a rebate system in Medicare Part B and Part D beginning in 2022 for brand-name drugs and biological products with prices that increase faster than inflation. Conservative groups and some Senate Republicans have opposed the rebate system for Part D, the prescription drug benefit program, but not for Part B, the outpatient services program. .By Representative Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35) … Continued

In addition, two new cosponsors – Sen. Tom Harkin (IA) and Rep. Michael Honda (CA-17) – signed on to the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act (S. 308 and H.R. 649), bringing the total up to two in the Senate and twenty-six in the House. If signed into law, the bill would base the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) upon the spending patterns of seniors, and it would gradually eliminate the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. It would reportedly add fifty years to the solvency of the Trust Fund, while also making the COLA more fair and accurate. .According to a recent TSCL poll, seventy-seven percent said they do not agree with the new "deferred action" immigration policy. TSCL supports the "No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act" (H.R. 787) introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), which would ban the use of earnings for jobs worked while illegal to determine entitlement. .This week, the Obama administration released its much-anticipated 2013 budget proposal, and the House-Senate conference committee compromised on a deal to prevent payment cuts to Medicare physicians and extend the payroll tax holiday. In addition, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act. .The Social Security Expansion Act (S. 731), introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). Like the 2100 Act, this bill would adopt the CPI-E and create a new minimum benefit to keep retirees out of poverty. It would also provide the average beneficiary with a per month benefit increase – an amount that TSCL believes is fair and necessary. In last month's issue of TSCL's Advisor, Sen. Sanders wrote: "Poll after poll has shown the American public supports expanding Social Security. Its time Congress listens to the American people … not the Wall Street millionaires who want to cut it." .Sources: "The Long-Term Budget Outlook," CBO, June 20"CBO: Deficit Would Soar In Coming Decades Despite Obama's Health Overhaul," Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post, June 30, 2010. .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. .On Tuesday, House lawmakers advanced two Senate-passed bills that will reduce prescription drug prices at pharmacies if signed into law. The Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act (S. 2554) will prohibit "gag clauses" that prevent pharmacists from telling consumers when it would be cheaper to purchase their prescriptions out-of-pocket rather than through their health insurance. Similarly, the Know the Lowest Price Act (S. 2553) will protect Medicare beneficiaries from "gag clauses." .Members of Congress adjourned for the holiday recess this week, with the Senate returning on Thursday to resume Fiscal Cliff negotiations. .When asked whether the waiting periods for disability and Medicare benefits should be eliminated, 67% of TSCL's poll participants support eliminating the waiting periods for both Social Security and Medicare. Only 18% supported keeping both waiting periods, 9% supported eliminating the 2-year wait for Medicare alone, and 5% supported eliminating the 5-month wait for Social Security alone.