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  • H R 1585 Guaranteed 3 Cola Act

    In response to the OIG's findings, Representative Sam Johnson (TX-3) – Chair of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee – said: "Overpayments are bad for everyone – they are bad for the beneficiary and they are bad for the taxpayer. With the disability program going broke next year, it is especially troubling that Social Security is failing to protect precious taxpayer dollars." .According to Medicare, no single organization was behind the 35 people charged in the genetic testing scam, which included 9 doctors. All of this comes at a time when Medicare and Medicare Advantage are expanding the use of telemedicine, which allows doctors and nurses to connect with patients over the internet or by cell phone for consultations and to check symptoms remotely. .The message here isn't "work till you drop." Working even a few additional years can boost retirement security substantially when you finally do retire. There's a "triple whammy" effect -- delayed Social Security filings means higher monthly benefits; you have more years of contributions to retirement accounts; and you have fewer net years of drawing down those accounts. Working with financial planning experts, we estimated that these factors can boost income in retirement by one-third or more. … Continued

  • Prescription Drugs

    In the meantime, TSCL will be keeping a close eye on the budget negotiations since they will impact the funding of the Social Security and Medicare programs. We will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website, and on our Twitter page. .The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is provided to protect the buying power of Social Security benefits from rising prices. Yet for almost a decade, retirees have had to manage their household budgets despite COLAs that have been at unprecedented lows. During this period, typical retiree costs have continued to rise several times faster than overall inflation and, consequently, Social Security benefits have lost one-third of their buying power since 2000. .TSCL believes this type of mathematical gimmickry shortchanges the measurement of real cost increases, thereby shortchanging the COLAs of almost 58 million beneficiaries. Yet this is just one of many such changes since 198TSCL believes that the strongest protection Social Security recipients have against such machinations of benefits is legislation that would guarantee that COLAs would be no less than 3%. This could be paid for by lifting the Social Security taxable maximum so that high-income earners making more than 8,500 pay their fair share of taxes. This not only is fair, but would ensure more adequate benefits for all retirees. … Continued

But financial problems are more likely to compound for Notch Babies and their families because Notch Babies received Social Security benefits lower than those of other retirees having similar work and earnings histories, and they are at the age when many have exhausted their retirement savings and other resources. According to U.S. Census data, 9 percent of men and 14 percent of senior women over 85 have incomes lower than the U.S. poverty level — ,170 for single seniors in 201A core set of benefits is available to low-income seniors including: .Overpayments are recovered by several means. If the beneficiary is still alive, the overpayment may be sent back to the Social Security Administration, or the Administration will withhold benefits until the amount is paid in full. Other means include seizing tax refunds, wage garnishments, settlements and civil suits. When beneficiaries can't afford to repay the overpayment, a lesser withholding amount can be requested, or beneficiaries can contact Social Security to set up a monthly installment plan to repay the amount. Those who don't agree that they have been overpaid can appeal. Learn more about overpayments at SocialSecurity.gov. .According to the committee report, a (now retired) Social Security judge, David B. Daugherty, schemed with a disability attorney Eric C. Conn, improperly awarding benefits to "virtually all" of Conn's 1,823 clients. The decisions were based on recommendations by an unusually loyal group of doctors who "often examined Conn's clients right in his law offices" according to a CBS News "60 Minutes" program. .Seniors Support Medicare Coverage Expansion .Lawmakers from both the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts this week to continue the month-long August recess. They are expected to return to Washington on September 5th, following the Labor Day holiday. .TSCL's Board Visits Capitol Hill .Budget Cuts Taking Toll on Congressional Staffs .Article I of the United States Bill of Rights guarantees citizens the right to petition the government for "redress" of grievances. Individuals build greater political clout when they join forces with other like-minded activists to press for change. Time is running out for Notch Babies. TSCL members and their families, friends, and supporters will not allow the Notch Issue to quietly die away, but will continue to press for compensating those born during the Notch period as long as they set that as their number one legislative goal. .Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) have languished at exceptionally low levels in recent years. Administration officials and economists point to the sluggish economy and recent economic recession as the reason. But government tinkering with the consumer price index (CPI) is playing an enormous role in reducing the measured rate of inflation, in turn cutting the growth in Social Security benefits.