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    Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV) told reporters on Wednesday, "The CR is not done; it's a work in progress … This isn't going to be wrapped up in the next couple hours, that's for sure." In addition, Senator John Thune (SD) said, "I think [Majority Leader McConnell's] goal all along has been to try and get something considered by the end of this week, to try and wrap things up. But I'll just tell you, my own view is that, based on past experience, I don't think we'll get there this week. I think this probably spills into next week." .But it turns out the Democrats are not quite as united as that statement makes it sound. Ten members recently sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressing concerns about the drug pricing legislation as written. .More generous medical expense deductions for 2017 and 2018: The final tax bill retains the deduction for medical expenses and delays a previous change that would have limited the medical expense deduction for people age 65 and older in 2017 and thereafter. Under previous tax law, all taxpayers could deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses that exceed 10% of adjusted gross income, or only 7.5% for taxpayers age 65 or older. The amount of medical expenses that this group of taxpayers would be allowed to deduct was originally scheduled to rise to 10% in 201The new tax bill delayed that change, retaining the 7.5% threshold for medical expenses for taxpayers age 65 and over in 2017 and 201The change to 10% will go into effect beginning in 2019. … Continued

  • Category Legislative News Page 30

    Medicare Reform – Protect beneficiaries from changes that would impose greater out-of-pocket costs on beneficiaries. .In addition, one new cosponsor – Rep. Diane Black (TN-6) – signed on to the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act (H.R. 1716). The total is now at twenty-seven. If signed into law, H.R. 1716 would prohibit unauthorized workers from receiving Social Security benefits based on work done while in the country illegally, using stolen, fake, or fraudulent Social Security Numbers. TSCL believes it would protect the integrity of the program while preventing an unnecessary and unspecified strain on the Social Security Trust Funds. .For progress updates or for more information about these and other bills that would strengthen Social Security and Medicare programs, visit our website at … Continued

Town Hall Question: Research indicates that seniors have already lost more than 30 percent of their purchasing power since 2000. What is your position on the adoption of the "chained" CPI for the calculation of Social Security COLAs? .Five years after IPAB's creation, it still has no appointed members and, due to record-low growth in healthcare costs, it hasn't been triggered to make recommendations to Congress yet. Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, says she doesn't expect it to be triggered until 201But hundreds of lawmakers have serious concerns about the prospect of the board since it would be comprised of unelected and unaccountable appointees. They are hoping to pass legislation that would do away with it by the end of this year. .Congress last year expanded this program in the healthcare reform act, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was signed into law in March 20The PPACA expanded "means testing" to Medicare Part D, and froze the income thresholds at which beneficiaries become subject to the "means test" at the 2010 levels through 201This year, depending on income, individuals who make more than ,000 and couples who make more than 0,000 will have to pay from .10 - 3.70 extra per month for their Part B premiums, and from .10 to .10 extra per month for their Part D premiums in 2011. .Financial losses in real estate and retirement accounts of the Great Recession of 2008 have left today's retirees and Baby Boomers with far less home equity and assets to draw from in retirement, even though seniors are living longer. Retirements are spanning 25 and even thirty years, but today's seniors are going into retirement with little savings. A recent Harris poll found that 22 percent of retirees age 65 and older say they have none of their retirement savings left. These people are completely dependent on Social Security and other family members. .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. .A number of vaccines, including those for flu and pneumonia, might be capable of improving immunity overall, according to one researcher. Scientists are looking at several other potential candidates, including vaccines against herpes viruses and tuberculosis. .The following Members of Congress, among others, will hold town halls this week: Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Mike Lee (UT), Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-3), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4). .TSCL would like to thank Reps. Larry Bucshon (IN-8), Richard Hanna (NY-24), Mike Conaway (TX-11), Rodney Alexander (LA-5), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2), Gregory Meeks (NY-6), and Christopher Smith (NJ-4) for taking the time to meet and discuss important issues for seniors. TSCL also met with top staffers in the following offices: Reps. Grace Napolitano (CA-39), Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6), Steve Southerland (FL-2), Dennis Kucinich (OH-10), and Peter Visclosky (IL-1). .The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act (S. 61), introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (IA) and Amy Klobuchar (MN), would allow individuals to safely import prescriptions from approved pharmacies in Canada.