News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending October 9 2015

    Seniors Support Medicare Coverage Expansion .Legislation passed in 1983 required all Members of Congress to pay into Social Security. That said, like all high-income workers, they only pay Social Security up to the maximum taxable wage, which in 2012 is 0,100. Thus Members of Congress pay no Social Security taxes on the additional ,900 they receive as salary. Since Members of Congress are high-income earners, they are also in line for the maximum tax break due to the payroll tax cut extension. The payroll tax rate has temporarily been cut by 2%, meaning Members of Congress will save ,002 in 2012. .This week, the Social Security Administration announced the 2019 cost-of-living adjustment, and President Donald Trump signed into law legislation that will result in lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at pharmacies. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw in Congress. … Continued

  • Will Medicare Soon Include Dental Coverage And More

    We've also reported on an analysis by the Social Security Administration about the effect of the President's directive on the viability of Social Security. That report said in part, the " DI [Disability Insurance] Trust Fund asset reserves would become permanently depleted in about the middle of calendar year 2021, with no ability to pay DI benefits thereafter. We estimate that OASI[Old Age and Survivors' Insurance] Trust Fund reserves would become permanently depleted by the middle of calendar year 2023, with no ability to pay OASI benefits thereafter." .The situation is affecting lower-income seniors with modest resources because states require single seniors to exhaust nearly all of their assets, including their home equity, to qualify for Medicaid. Meyer reports that "Federal Medicaid rules allow states to exempt the home from consideration of financial eligiblilty if the family is making a good faith effort to sell, but not all states do." Depending on where they live, seniors may not qualify for Medicaid if they can't sell their home. .In 2018 Sally will finally get a COLA of 2% raising her monthly benefit of ,003 by .10 to ,023.However, if Medicare Part B premiums would be 4 per month in 2018 — Sally would need a COLA of .10 to cover the full cost of Part B premiums. Because Sally's benefit only increased .10, the increase in her Part B premium cannot exceed that amount. Thus Sally will continue to receive hold harmless protection and her monthly Medicare Part B premium would be adjusted downwards to 8.00 (7.90 + .10) to avoid reduction of her Social Security benefit. … Continued

We gave you the bad news about eating fried foods, which really is nothing very new. But there was some hopeful news last week that we want to pass along. .Unlike income brackets that are adjusted annually, the income thresholds that subject Social Security income to taxation are fixed. Because of this, the number of Social Security recipients who are hit by the tax has increased substantially over the years as incomes have grown. .Hearings Over Controversial Healthcare "Cutting" Board .In an ironic twist, the proposal runs counter to Republicans' belief in the free market system and Congressional Republicans have long opposed it, while Democrats, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have long advocated it. .The CPI-E Act of 2017 (H.R.1251) gained two new cosponsors in Representative Peter Welch (VT-01) and Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08), bringing the new cosponsor total up to 4If signed into law, H.R. 1251 will base cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security benefits on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). .Senator Nelson also asked Congressman Price about his plans to privatize the Medicare program at Wednesday's hearing. A recent reform plan authored by the Congressman would transform the traditional Medicare program into a "premium support" model, where beneficiaries would be given vouchers from the federal government to purchase private insurance. In the past, Congressman Price has claimed that such plans would result in lower costs for both Medicare and its beneficiaries, but at Wednesday's hearing, Senator Nelson presented a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office that projected premium increases of at least 125 percent for seniors living in Florida and other heavily populated states. He expressed serious concerns about the privatization of Medicare since his constituents would see higher medical costs. .In view of what happened and the substantial differential in pure dollar terms, TSCL believes "The Notch Fairness Act" is a fair, and even modest settlement for those who were affected by the Notch. "The Notch Fairness Act" would provide those born from 1917 through 1926 the option of choosing ,000 payable over a five year period or an improved monthly benefit. .With about 1 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Located just outside Washington, D.C., its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. The Senior Citizens League is a proud affiliate of The Retired Enlisted Association. .Senior Medicare Patrol Saved Millions in 2013