News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending August 19 2016

    As our nation goes through the process of getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and getting our lives back on track, TSCL is working on a number of long-term issues that await Congressional attention. We expect policy makers in Congress will be turning their attention to the question of boosting benefits and restoring the long-term solvency of the Medicare and Social Security Trust Funds. .Sources: Earnings Suspense File Data For 2008 and 2009, Social Security Administration, March 2, 201"The Growing Cost Of Illegal Immigration To Social Security," Mary Johnson, TSCL, June 2010. .Should Congress approve the ,000 Lump-Sum Settlement, you would continue to receive your monthly Social Security benefit without any adjustment. However, as the legislation is written, you will have a choice of annual additional lump-sum payments OR an increased monthly check. … Continued

  • The President Introduces His Plan To Lower Drug Prices

    Insurance for Old Age: Are Annuities A Good Idea? .This week, House and Senate lawmakers remained in their home states and districts for a week-long spring break. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Monday, March 25th. Until then, many Members of Congress will be hosting town hall meetings and attending events in their home states and districts. .Some Seniors to Pay More for Drugs Under New Rule … Continued

New Medicare Enrollees in 201Because these people are new to Medicare, they pay the full amount in 2017 when they sign up. .Shoring up the Medicare Part A Trust Fund will be more difficult. Simply cutting payments to hospitals would not be in the best interests of patients or hospitals, because many medical centers are already faltering financially. .First, two new cosponsors – Representative Paul Gosar (AZ-4) and Representative John Larson (CT-1) – signed on to the Audiology Patient Choice Act (H.R. 2276), bringing the total up to thirty-two. If adopted, H.R. 2276 would improve Medicare coverage for hearing services that are performed by licensed audiologists. Under current law, audiologists are not recognized as providers of health-related hearing services, and the Medicare program will only reimburse them for their services when patients are referred by physicians or nurse practitioners. .Stories About High Drug Costs Lead To Congressional Investigation of Pharmaceutical Pricing .According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), for a person who retired at age 65 with average wages, a maximum benefit disparity of 10% would have arisen between the highest benefit under the old rules and the lowest benefit under the new rules if the 1977 assumptions had materialized. Under the economic conditions that actually arose, the disparity was 25% (6). .Baicker, the public policy school dean, thinks public scrutiny will prevent outrageous pricing. The industry has made various pledges, trying to balance corporate citizenship against making eager investors happy: Astra Zeneca has promised 1 billion doses for low- and middle-income countries. Johnson & Johnson says it would make the COVID-19 vaccine available on a "not for profit basis" at for "emergency pandemic use." ."Switching to a more slowly growing CPI is not the only change affecting seniors that deficit negotiators are looking at," notes Hyland. "Members of Congress from both parties are already considering changes that would make seniors pay a bigger share of their Medicare, and reducing government Medicaid payments at the same time," he adds. .This week, The Senior Citizens League released its final estimate for the 2019 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and four key bills gained support in Congress. .The amount of the credit will increase for many taxpayers.