News
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Social Security Disability Close To Insolvency Feed
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. .TSCL acknowledges the fact that changes to programs like Social Security and Medicare will be necessary in the coming years, and we agree that changes should be made sooner rather than later to protect seniors from harsh benefit cuts. Our surveys show that seniors favor Social Security reform options that would require wealthier Americans to pay taxes on all of their earnings, and Medicare reform options that would better coordinate care and prioritize the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse. .President Trump also said this last weekend that over the next 2 weeks he will pursue an executive order requiring health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. "We will be pursuing a major executive order" on pre-existing conditions, Trump said during a news conference in N.J. … Continued
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Now For Some Hopeful News
To identify people in the country illegally, Medicare relies on information from the Social Security Administration in order to deny claims. The Social Security Administration receives data from the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies but CMS doesn't always receive information relating to unlawful presence in a timely manner, according to the Inspector General. .Last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned lawmakers that the suspension of the debt limit would expire on March 15th. That deadline has come and gone without congressional action, and the Treasury Department is now using "extraordinary measures" – like postponing contributions to retirement accounts for federal employees – to prevent a default. .A new fraud scheme designed to target seniors appears almost daily. In many cases, seniors have watched their entire life savings disappear in scams that are specifically designed to target their assets. … Continued
Unfortunately, a long-time TSCL goal of reducing prescription drug prices did not make it into the newly introduced House bill. It appears that, as we have written before, legislation to reduce drug prices will not be dealt with until sometime in the fall. .House Committee Advances IPAB Repeal .So far, many accomplishments have made the first session of the 113th Congress a memorable one for TSCL. To read more about our latest efforts, check out our Legislative Updates. .Prescription Drug Re-Importation – Making safe, secure re-importation a reality. .On Monday, President Obama released his .8 trillion budget request for fiscal 2013, calling it "a blueprint for how we can rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded." While the proposal leaves Social Security as is, many Medicare beneficiaries – especially those considered "high earners" – would see major changes. .For this reason, TSCL announced its support for the Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act back in March, and our legislative team has been busy advocating for it on Capitol Hill. The bill's sponsors expect the House Ways and Means Committee to take it up before the end of the year, and they are hopeful that both chambers will pass it shortly thereafter. For updates, visit and, on our new Facebook page, at www.Facebook.com/SeniorsLeague. .Several new bills have recently been introduced in Congress that would reduce prescription drug costs. A number of them have bipartisan support. To read more details about these bills see —"Stories About High Drug Costs Lead To Congressional Investigation of Pharmaceutical Pricing." .How You Can Get Help With Heating Costs .Medicare Part B enrollees who don't receive Social Security benefits. This includes people who have delayed the start of Social Security and all people who are billed for Medicare. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2013 about half of all people on Medicare who don't receive Social Security yet had incomes below ,000.