News

  • Legislative Update June 2011 Advisor

    It's unlikely that Congress will move forward on this plan or any Medicare reform proposals before a critical election, but The Senior Citizens League will keep a close eye on the negotiations. .The Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R. 3, Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, prescription drug price negotiation legislation which is under debate in the House could lower government spending on Part D by 6 billion over a ten year period, but cautioned the estimates are uncertain, especially if price negotiations are implemented differently that the CBO's interpretation. .This week, the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees released their highly anticipated annual reports on the financial status of the two programs. One congressional subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the findings, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw . … Continued

  • Medicare Now Covers Testing For Coronavirus

    The real danger of traveling isn't the flight itself. However, going through security and waiting at the gate for your plane to dock are both likely to put you in close contact with people and increase your chances of contracting the virus. In addition, boarding — when the plane's ventilation system is not running and people are unable to stay distanced from one another — is one of the riskiest parts of the travel process. "Minimizing this time period is important to reduce exposure," wrote Corsi. "Get to your seat with your mask on and sit down as quickly as possible." .Unless something is done, TSCL calculates there may be no COLA for next year. ."Brand-name drugs are the primary driver of the higher prescription drug prices in the U.S.," report co-author Andrew Mulcahy said in a press release. … Continued

An Emergency COLA in 2021 Would Prevent Economic Insecurity and An Unprecedented Medicare Part B Premium Increase for Older Americans. .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. .We do not collect any other information unless it is voluntarily provided by the visitor, such as if you answer one of our surveys, make a donation and/or register on our site to receive news and important updates on issues affecting senior citizens. .Last Friday the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, Inc., urged President Biden to form a bipartisan coalition in Washington to address high drug costs. .Millions of other public servants find themselves in similar situations, often too late to do much about it. To reconcile this inequity, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) enthusiastically supports the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 896 and H.R. 1795), a bill that would repeal both provisions and grant public servants the retirement security they deserve. The bill was introduced by Senator Mark Begich (AK) in the Senate, and by Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) in the House. So far, it has gained significant traction in both chambers. In the House, it recently reached one hundred co-sponsors, and in the Senate, nearly twenty lawmakers have signed on in support of it. .Earnings reports with incorrect or incomplete information have been a long–standing problem. They can be caused by something as simple as a transposed Social Security number, or a name change when a woman gets married or divorced. Accurate earnings are critical in order to calculate benefits for workers and their dependents. The most recent data indicates there has been a significant jump in both the number of these mismatched reports and the value of wages. SSA Inspector General Patrick P. O'Carroll stated in testimony before Congress that "we believe the chief cause of wage items being posted to the [earnings suspense file] instead of an individual's earnings record is unauthorized work by noncitizens."(8) .The Finance Committee members spent much of Tuesday's hearing debating the primary motivators of rising healthcare costs, especially growing premiums in the individual market. Many on the committee seemed convinced that the ACA is to blame, while others said the Trump Administration is responsible. .Sources: "What Medicaid Cuts Will Mean For Seniors," Gleckman, Kaiser Health News, May 18, 2011. .The Supplemental Poverty Measure reflects out-of-pocket medical spending and adjusts for the cost of living depending on where you live which are not taken into account by the official poverty measure. Here are some key findings from the analysis: