News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending January 19 2018

    Since 2009, COLAs have been at record lows, averaging just 1.4% — less than half the more typical 3% that COLAs averaged in the prior decade. According to the TSCL analysis, over the last seven years, average Social Security benefits will be about 3 a month lower in 2016 than if inflation had been the more normal levels of about 3%. For example, had a married couple — retired since 2009 and receiving about ,330 per month received a more typical 3% COLA — their total Social Security income would be about ,700 more than it has actually been since 20009. .Recreation (televisions, toys, pets and pet products, sports equipment, admissions); .Lowering drug prices is one of the highest priorities of TSCL and we will be working very hard to get legislation passed this year. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending August 30 2013

    New regulatory threats, some at the urging of the pharmaceutical industry, could make it impossible for seniors to purchase certain products like vitamins and minerals without a prescription. It may sound outrageous, but seniors could soon be limited in their access to things as simple as protein shakes, vegetable juice and even herbal hand lotion without a prescription. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently began imposing new regulations on products used in "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" (CAM). TSCL is concerned the expensive federal regulations will restrict seniors' access to commonly available items and drive up costs for those that remain on the market. .In recent years the Earnings Suspense File has been growing at an unprecedented pace. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, Russ Knocke, was recently quoted as saying that, last year, as many as 10% of the wage reports received by the Social Security Administration (SSA) belonged to employees whose name and Social Security number did not match those of SSA. .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. … Continued

To get your health services through Original Medicare. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, deductibles and co-pays may apply to these preventive services. Check with your plan to see what costs and rules apply. .After being suspended since November 2, 2015, the debt cap was reinstated last week. "Although the Treasury secretary is using ‘extraordinary measures' to fund the budget for now, a failure to lift the debt limit in time would affect all Americans, including the timely payment of Social Security benefits," says TSCL Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, Mary Johnson. .With about 1 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Located just outside Washington, D.C., its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. The Senior Citizens League is a proud affiliate of TREA The Enlisted Association. Please visit or call 1-800-333-8725 for more information. .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. .Early this week, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Social Security Administration released a 10-year study that found nearly billion in overpayments to around 4 million enrollees in the Disability Insurance program. Approximately 45 percent of all disabled beneficiaries have been overpaid in the past decade, the report's authors concluded. .In addition, TSCL encourages its members and supporters to vote on election day, which is next week, on November 8th. To best be prepared, check out our list of election day resources right HERE. To see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings in the days ahead, call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. For more sample town hall questions, click HERE. .Important work is also being done on the federal, state, and local levels to build awareness and advance medical research. As part of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's, my colleagues and I have been working to address the growth of Alzheimer's. One piece of legislation that I am pushing is the Alzheimer's Accountability Act, which would increase coordination between the National Institute of Health, Congress, and the White House regarding the resources necessary to help treat Alzheimer's. Another bill, the Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer's Act would help improve early diagnosing of Alzheimer's and strengthen support services for patients and their families. .Healthcare Debate Continues in Senate .TSCL is contacting Members of Congress to make them aware of the likelihood that the COLA in 2021 could be one of the lowest ever paid, and to propose an emergency COLA of 2.5%. We drew the 2.5% from the current estimated Social Security baseline budget produced by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). In January, the CBO estimated that the 2021 COLA would be 2.5%, thus providing an emergency COLA of that amount is already factored into Social Security Trust Fund calculations.