News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending January 2 2015

    In order to keep Social Security checks coming, in full and on time, Congress will need to work promptly to raise or suspend the debt limit in coming months. Failing to do so would be irresponsible, especially when more than 60 million Americans rely on Social Security and Medicare. TSCL believes that Congress has better options than benefit cuts for strengthening Social Security. What do you think? Please take our new online 2019 Social Security survey here. .Eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits that currently applies to individuals with incomes as low as ,000 and married couples with incomes less than ,000. .Employment and average earnings information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that average wages were down about 4.4% in 2020. But BLS wage data can vary from the final wage data that employers report to the Social Security Administration. Adjusting for the difference, the AWI for 2020 may drop only slightly, by roughly 0.65 percentage point. We are closely watching for the new AWI for 2020 from the Social Security Administration, but that final number won't be known until the end of the year. … Continued

  • Presidents Budget Leaves Out Plans For Lowering Drug Prices

    Your chance to make some changes is coming up, November 15 through December 3Since Medicare's open enrollment period is in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, your best bet is to do your homework by starting now. Here are some things you should know: .Why You Should Beware When The Doctor Wants To Hold You For "Observation" .The alternative to this approach is control by a board of unelected bureaucrats known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This board will consist of 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats empowered to make decisions about what kind of care people on Medicare can receive. I am greatly concerned that this board is being given way too much authority to determine what benefits are covered and how much physicians are paid. This commission's sole intention will be to determine whether Medicare is spending more than is budgeted and, if so, to offer "fixes" to cut back on Medicare spending that would then be fast-tracked with very little opportunity for Congressional input. President Obama's former Budget Director Peter Orszag called IPAB "the single biggest yielding of power to an independent entity since the creation of the federal reserve." I believe the best way to control costs in Medicare is to increase choice and competition, not cede control of health care decisions to a board of 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. … Continued

New criminal cases were filed in April against a Michigan doctor accused of pushing Vitamin C injections as a treatment, and a former "naturopathic" physician accused of peddling a "dynamic duo" of substances on Facebook that he claimed could kill the virus. .Drug spending nationally increased by 76% between 2000 and 2017, and the costs are expected to increase faster than other areas of healthcare over the next decade as new, expensive specialty drugs are approved, according to the researchers. .Deferred Action allows immigrants under the age of 33, who entered the country illegally as children, to request consideration of deferred action on deportation. In addition, the program provides temporary work authorization, and valid Social Security numbers. The work permits are good for two years and the Obama Administration recently announced they are taking applications for renewal. .To view our full legislative agenda, click HERE, and to learn more about these issues listed above, click HERE. .I believe Congress and the President should take plans for deficit reduction elsewhere. Social Security is a self-funded program and has no place in the deficit reduction debate. I will continue to oppose the proposed cuts to the Cost of Living Adjustment for Social Security because it will hurt our most vulnerable seniors. The average senior who retires at 65 will lose about ,000 over 15 years if chained CPI were put into place. For seniors living on a fixed income it could greatly impact their quality of life. .Social Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000. These are the findings of an annual TSCL study that examines the adequacy of Social Security benefits in keeping up with the rising costs typically experienced by adults age 65 and up. .This is all good news. In addition to the cost of pharmaceuticals, the simple availability of them is crucial for seniors, especially during times like this. .Continuing Resolution Debate Grows Complex .In order to keep Social Security checks coming, in full and on time, Congress will need to work promptly to raise or suspend the debt limit in coming months. Failing to do so would be irresponsible, especially when more than 60 million Americans rely on Social Security and Medicare. TSCL believes that Congress has better options than benefit cuts for strengthening Social Security. What do you think? Please take our new online 2019 Social Security survey here.