News

  • Great Minds Think Alike And Boggle At Prescription Drug Prices

    In the coming weeks, TSCL will continue to monitor the "myRA" and immigration reform issues that President Obama spoke about on Tuesday evening. We will provide updates here in the Legislative News section of our website as more details become available. .What sort of income will your resources generate? Will the income generated by your retirement savings be enough to cover the loss of income, expenses, and taxes if any, if you die? .Can you tell me how I can find out what my benefit and probable income from Social Security would be? I've heard some complaints about conflicting information. I turn 62 later this year. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending February 1 2013

    Susan's mother started taking the prescription drug Eliquis last year, that will cost her mother about ,244 out-of-pocket in 2019 for that drug alone (she takes five other generics). Last year, the cost of Eliquis pushed her mom into the Part D doughnut hole where out-of-pocket costs were higher. Rising costs of the drug in 2019 will mean her mom will hit the doughnut hole a month sooner this year. .On Thursday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that beneficiaries will receive a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 201It will be the largest Social Security COLA since 2012, but around 5 million seniors with the lowest Social Security benefits are expected see no net increase in their monthly checks after Medicare Part B premiums are deducted. Those with benefits of around 5 per month or less are expected to see no net increase. .TSCL was stunned to learn just how big the disparity in drug prices can be. Johnson compared the highest and lowest prices of the top ten most-prescribed drugs in the U.S. using the Drug Plan Finder found on the Medicare website. The overall average cost difference between the highest - and lowest - cost plans for the top ten drugs was 3 per month. Johnson's comparison used one zip code as a control since prices vary depending on the part of the country where an individual lives, as well as between plans. In Johnson's zip code she had 23 plans to compare. … Continued

The definition of disability under Social Security is different from other programs. Social Security only pays benefits for total disability, and none are paid for partial or a short-term disability. To determine if your husband is disabled, the Social Security Administration will examine the following: .You should still avoid medium or large-sized gatherings. ."Super Congress" Holds First Hearing .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. .In a letter that was delivered along with the petitions, Art Cooper – Chairman of The Senior Citizens League's Board of Trustees – wrote: "This bill would better protect the purchasing power of benefits while improving the solvency of the trust funds for decades to come … If you are already a cosponsor of this critical bill, please accept my gratitude. If you are not, please consider the requests of these eight hundred petition signers and cosponsor it before the end of this year." .We have been hearing from hundreds of you who are watching the inflation numbers and eagerly looking forward to getting a high inflation boost next year. But a number of you point out an urgent problem that occurs. COLA Estimated to Be 6% to 6.1% For 2022 , editor .What Kind Of Health Insurance Do Members of Congress Get? .Depending on your health, it might be to your advantage to start unemployment benefits and delay taking Social Security right away. Allow several months to search for a new job. The longer you can postpone starting Social Security, the higher your benefit will be. In addition, should you find a good job and start working again, your Social Security benefits could be reduced by excess earnings. If you are under your full retirement age you may earn ,480 in 2014 (,290 per month) before Social Security would withhold in benefits for every over that amount. .Women who earn less are particularly disadvantaged because females tend to live longer compared to men but have to live on less in benefits. The Social Security Administration website tells us that the typical woman receives ,218 each month while the typical man receives ,534 per month — meaning that, on average, men receive 25% more in Social Security benefits. This means that women have much less money to cover their expenses over a longer period.