News

  • Loss Of Buying Power Study 2020

    Social Security is the largest single source of income for older Americans, providing the majority of income for half of retirees, and at least 90% of income for 18% of retirees, according to another think tank, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. ."The need for an Emergency COLA has never been greater," says Benton. TSCL is meeting with Congress to urge lawmakers to enact emergency legislation to provide a COLA large enough to boost benefits in 2016 and 201In addition, TSCL is asking Members of Congress to pass legislation that would use a senior consumer price index, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), to more fairly calculate the annual boost. .Medicare recently announced that a big change is coming to Medicare cards. To prevent identity theft and to help protect the program from fraud, Medicare will be dropping Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and issuing new cards starting next year. … Continued

  • The Senior Citizens League Weekly Update 12 13 19

    Forty-five percent (45%) say their retirement savings dropped significantly in value and that they have cut back on spending. Another 13 percent (13%) say their retirement savings have dropped, but they are unable to cut back any further. .To the contrary, the majority of you who have taken our Senior Cost Survey in June and July — 56% — think we need to invest more in Medicare so that we can respond rapidly and more effectively to the next health crisis. COVID-19 affects us all, and is expected to continue to be a threat for months to come. TSCL believes that investing more in Medicare now pays off in protecting the health, and future, of all its beneficiaries. .But among other things, if consumers can't find the cost of health care, the idea of the free market is impossible. … Continued

The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings this week: Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA), Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Pat Roberts (KS), Rep. Garret Graves (LA-6), Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Rep. Will Hurd (TX-23), Rep. Diane Black (TN-6), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1), Rep. Kevin Cramer (ND), Rep. Raul Labrador (ID-1), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-2), Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4), Rep. Tom Rice (SC-7), Rep. Mimi Walters (CA-45), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-4), Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-6), Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-4), Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9), and Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-9). .This year, The Senior Citizens League has heard from supporters like never before about some extreme costs of prescription drugs. One supporter told us she pays ,800 for a three-month supply of insulin as a type 2 diabetic. She said: "I do not have that kind of money! My doctor has been giving me samples to keep me afloat but I cannot expect him to do that forever … I will have to sell my house to pay for insulin." .Do COLAs overpay seniors? Ask TSCL Chairman, Larry Hyland. "The idea is hogwash," he says. "There's simply no evidence that the CPI has overpaid the people who depend on those COLAs to protect the buying power of their benefits. The Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) that surveys the market basket more typical of the majority of Social Security recipients, has shown a significantly greater rise over the CPI used to calculate COLAs through 201The CPI-E would provide a more accurate, and adequate COLA, one more in line with the costs experienced by seniors," Hyland says. .Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases. .The other rule concerns drug rebates involving Medicare Part D. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that last year Part D rebates totaled .8 billion, representing an average discount of nearly 30% for brand drugs. .On Thursday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a high-profile hearing on recent developments in the prescription drug market. According to the committee, thirty of the top-selling drugs in the United States experienced price increases of 76 percent between 2010 and 2014 – eight times the general inflation rate. .Assistance in paying for low cost home weatherization to make your home more energy efficient. .We encourage you to tell incumbent Members of Congress who are running for re-election what you expect from the lawmakers who represent you. Outline the changes you support for Social Security and ask the candidates if they are willing to end the tax breaks for the wealthy so that all working Americans can enjoy a more secure retirement. .The following Members of Congress, among others, will hold town hall meetings this week: Sen. Joni Ernst (IA), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA), Sen. Charles Grassley (IA), Sen. Angus King (ME), Rep. Joe Barton (TX-6), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-2), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-5), Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10), Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-30), Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3), Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1), Rep. Danny Davis (IL-7), Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10), Rep. Robert Scott (VA-3), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-2), and Rep. Dave Brat (VA-7).