In his opening statement, Dr. Conway said, "This proposal is part of the Administration's broader strategy to encourage better care, smarter spending, and healthier people by paying for what works, unlocking health care data, and finding new ways to coordinate and integrate care to improve quality." .TSCL believes that the Supplemental Poverty Measure is a more fair and appropriate measure of poverty today. We encourage you to ask Congressional candidates where they stand on programs to reduce poverty affecting older Americans. .Cutting the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) by switching to a more slowly rising measure of inflation – the "chained" Consumer Price Index (CPI) – is currently one of the most popular deficit reduction proposals on the table. Backed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle – including President Obama – proponents are calling it a small "technical correction." But "chaining" the COLA would compound over the course of a retirement and, after ten years, it would amount to an per month benefit cut for the average retired married couple – an amount that most seniors simply cannot afford to lose. .Even Republicans who support changing the regulations are opposed to putting it in the NDAA and they may support an effort to pass it and try to override the President's veto, which would be the first of his presidency. .This week, Members of Congress returned to their home states and districts for a week-long recess to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Monday, November 28th, to resume the lame-duck session. .A retirement coach might be helpful, but the fees can be pricey. A retirement coach differs from financial advisors by helping clients with nonfinancial social issues you need to consider in retirement. These include finding the right type of housing, figuring out Social Security and Medicare benefits, transitioning into second careers or volunteer work, and staying engaged with others in the community. A retirement coach will help you think through what you want and help you develop plans to attain those goals. A coach can also advise clients on managing aging parents or younger family members and provide help for maintaining a healthy state of mind. .At the same time, prices for generic drugs were slightly lower in the U.S. than in most other nations. Specifically, the U.S. spent an average of The reason for this is that infected people send viral particles into the air at a faster rate than the airplanes flush them out of the cabin. "Whenever you cough, talk or breathe, you're sending out droplets," said Qingyan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. "These droplets are in the cabin all the time." .To date, no government agency has released any complete estimate of the potential cost of illegal earnings to the Social Security Trust Fund. The best indication of the potential cost is contained in the Social Security Administration's "earnings suspense file" (ESF). .Where Can I Get Help With What Medicare Doesn't Cover? .The Senior Citizens League encourages its supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions of their elected officials, like the following three… .I recently introduced H.R. 4521, SNAP Simplification for the Elderly Act, as one of the focal points for my "Let's Feed America Campaign." The bill would eliminate burdensome red tape and make it easier for the low-income elderly and disabled individuals to receive SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) benefits. .My Mom Is Applying For Assisted Living: Why Must She Agree To Mandatory Arbitration? .The week ended with a live speech from President Trump heralding the new legislation passed recently that makes mandatory the transparency of the cost of hospital treatments, supplies and prescriptions. Of most interest to TSCL is the high cost of prescription drugs. During our meetings with Congressional offices this week we left information with all of them concerning a large number of issues we are working on including prescription drug prices. .I Thought My Co-pay Would Be Why Did I Have To Pay 3.45? .Members of the House adjourned for a week-long recess on Monday, but budget talks continued for the lawmakers that sit on the bicameral conference committee. While many have reportedly been meeting behind closed doors, Sen. Bernard Sanders (VT) took his message public in a news conference that announced his opposition to including entitlement cuts in a budget package. He said this week, "On these issues, Congress is way out of touch. The American people do not want to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid." .84 cents for a generic that would have cost an average of elsewhere, according to the report from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization. .It is believed that Trump issued the executive orders because a drive to enact major legislation this year stalled in Congress. Although Trump has told Republican senators that lowering prescription prices is 'something you have to do,' many remain reluctant to use federal authority to force drug makers to charge less. .We have reported several times in the last few weeks on President Trump's promised 0 drug discount card for seniors.