News

  • Big Effort To Lower Drug Prices Once Again In Congress

    This week, one Member of Congress introduced legislation that could make the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) a more accurate measure of inflation. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for two key bills. .This week, TSCL was pleased to see four key bills gain new cosponsors in the House and Senate. .The Social Security Notch is the unexpectedly steep drop in benefits that affects people born from 1917 through 192This generation of seniors receives lower benefits than other seniors who had nearly identical work and earnings histories. … Continued

  • The Senior Citizens League Weekly Update 1 17 2020

    If the bill doesn't pass into law one way or the other it would be the first time in 60 years the legislation has failed to be enacted. .Did you wind up owing federal income tax last year or this tax season due to the effects of the Making Work Pay Tax Credit? TSCL is concerned that senior taxpayers were disproportionately affected by implementation problems of the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, and is conducting an online to survey to learn how they were affected. .Source: The Full Retirement Age is Increasing, Social Security Administration, July 23, 20http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm … Continued

In the coming weeks and months, TSCL looks forward to working with Congressman Duncan's office to build bipartisan support for the CPI for Seniors Act. For updates on the progress of the bill, click HERE for visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. .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. .Medicaid Cuts Would Hit Notch Babies And Families Hardest .Direct federally funded community health centers to pass discounts they now get for insulin and EpiPens directly to low-income patients. .Since he was first elected to Congress in 2010, Congressman Mulvaney – a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus – has been vocal about his support for reforming the Social Security and Medicare programs. In a 2011 interview, he told reporters: "We have to end Medicare as we know it. We have to fix it." He has endorsed several proposals that would privatize the Medicare program by adopting a "premium support" model, and on Tuesday, he endorsed plans to increase means-testing within the program. Both of those proposals are opposed by TSCL since they would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries. .While that may solve one problem in trying to find the most affordable health care, it's not clear it will solve many others that still exist. .Trump Expected to Issue Executive Orders about Prescription Drugs .If signed into law, the PRIME Act would increase fraud prevention efforts within Medicare and Medicaid. Among other things, it would enact stronger fraud penalties, curb mistaken payments, phase out the practice of "pay and chase," reduce the theft of physician identities, and improve the sharing of fraud data among agencies and programs. .To stay updated on TSCL's legislative efforts and their progress in Congress, visit the Legislative News section of our website. You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter for more frequent legislative updates.