News

  • Benefit Bulletin April 2017

    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. .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. .It came in the mid-1950s, before health insurance for outpatient care was common, before new drugs were protected by multiple patents, and before medical research was regarded as a way to become rich. It was not patented because it was not considered patentable under the standards at the time. … Continued

  • Temporary Improvement In Social Security Buying Power Wiped Out By Soaring Inflation

    "We believe this unannounced policy of increased enforcement is irresponsible," said Representative Gil Gutknecht (MN) in a letter to the FDA and Customs. Gutknecht also said that the seizures violate the will of Congress, which has for three years denied FDA funding for the purpose of preventing reimportation of prescription drugs for personal use. .The Senior Citizens League thanks Senator Sanders and Representative Larson for their leadership on this important issue, and we look forward to working with their offices in the months ahead to help build support for their bill. For more information about the Social Security Administration Fairness Act, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. For progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter. .If signed into law, the Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to apply Social Security payroll taxes to earnings up to the contribution and benefit base and to all earnings in excess of 0,000. … Continued

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). .The campaign consisted of collecting and organizing TSCL-supporter signatures by each Congressional district. A personalized letter addressed to nearly each House Member was drafted to clearly convey the needs of our supporters and issue a call to action asking each office to look more closely at these issues. For those who have supported our causes in the past, these letters served as a "thank you" for their support. For many, however, the petitions signaled a clear and powerful message on behalf of their constituents that the time had come to make a concerted effort to stand up for seniors' rights. .Failure to balance between price and services. Assisted living and continuing care communities can be very expensive and more people are living longer in these facilities. It's important to make finances last while maintaining access to the best care. When exploring options, don't be afraid to look into facilities in areas that have lower costs of living, even if you won't be able to visit with your family every single day. What you give up in fancy features, you may trade off with more affordable rents, and service fees, more personal attention, while still getting high standards of care. .In February, after lawmakers allowed two government shutdowns to briefly take effect, Members of Congress finally passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 201The massive budget deal set spending levels for two years and lifted the debt ceiling through March of next year. It came as a surprise to many in Washington – including The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) – and the agreement put an end to cycles of funding extensions that temporarily and irresponsibly funded the federal government for years. .Medicare's Fall Open Enrollment Period started on October 15th and will run through December 7th. For the past 14 years, I have volunteered to help neighbors and friends learn about changes in their current Part D prescription drug or Medicare Advantage coverage during this period. We compare options, track down the lowest costing plans and pharmacies, and often switch to a lower-costing plan when there's a better deal. ."Failing to raise the U.S. debt ceiling could be disastrous," warns The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a group made up of leading U.S. economists, retired economic policy experts, and former Members of Congress concerned about reducing federal debt. If Congress fails to lift or suspend the debt limit in time, the inflow of Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes won't be sufficient to cover daily obligations. That could mean the U.S. Treasury could default on Social Security payments as well as payments to Medicare health plans. .The amount of the credit will increase for many taxpayers. .Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases. .Our nation is in a hyper-partisan period as the November elections approach. In this environment it becomes tricky when reporting about issues that affect you and other TSCL supporters because the issues are so often intertwined with politics.