News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending November 9 2018

    — have few or better yet — no health problems, and .On Tuesday, two Senate Committees – the Budget Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee – held confirmation hearings to question Congressman Mick Mulvaney (SC-5), who was nominated by President Trump to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. If confirmed, he would lead the office that develops the administration's federal budget and advises the White House on fiscal matters. .The new study found that consumer price data through March 2021 indicate that Social Security benefits have (once again) lost 30 percent of their buying power since 2000, and the loss of buying power looks as though it might grow deeper in 2021, should the current inflationary trends continue. The Senior Citizens League has been conducting this study for 12 years. The study typically looks at data from the 1month period of January of the previous year to January of the current year. But with recent aggressive inflation, TSCL felt it critical to include this data in our 2021 study findings. Doing so helps TSCL and the public to learn how this abrupt rise of inflation affects the buying power of Social Security benefits today. … Continued

  • Health Care System Weaknesses Magnified During Pandemic

    President Trump has said all week that he will not agree to pass further stimulus measures to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak without a payroll tax cut. Trump has been advocating for a payroll tax cut since last summer, even before the pandemic, but it is opposed by most congressional Democrats and it is not clear the idea has much support among Republicans in Congress. Obviously, a payroll tax cut would have no benefit for Americans put out of work in the wake of the outbreak until they return to employment. ."Taxpayers and patients will pay more for drugs and medical supplies," a group of more than 250 economists warned in a letter to the White House earlier this year. .TSCL believes several of the proposals under consideration would make the program unaffordable over time for the majority of beneficiaries. According to a new TSCL survey, more than one quarter of Medicare beneficiaries spend as much as 50% of their Social Security payments just to cover healthcare costs. TSCL recently delivered a listing of hundreds of thousands of petition signers from supporters to almost every Member of Congress and is continuing to convey concerns about plans to cut Social Security and Medicare. … Continued

"To put it in perspective, for every 0 worth of groceries a retiree could afford in 2000, they can only buy worth today," Johnson notes. To help protect the buying power of benefits, The Senior Citizens League supports legislation that would provide a modest boost in benefits and base COLAs on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) or guarantee a COLA no lower than 3 percent. In addition The League has recently launched a campaign for a ,400 stimulus check to help Americans struggling to cope with high inflation. To learn more about these initiatives, visit . .Finally, locality pay is subject to the approval of the President, and thus subject to politics. In 2019, the average locality pay adjustment was 0.5%. The annual COLA was 2.8%. The calculation has also been challenged by economists and the nonpartisan CBO as not being accurate. What do you think about using locality pay adjustment rates to adjust Social Security? To send a comment or take a poll on this topic visit . .The decision on when to start benefits is complicated and you should get counseling. The Social Security Administration website has a great deal of information on survivor's benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov as well as contact numbers to reach counselors. For more information about working after starting benefits see How Work Affects Your Benefits Publication Number 05-10069. .You can apply for widow benefits as early as age 60, but if you start prior to your full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced. In addition, your benefits would be further reduced if you earn more than the annual earnings limit, which is ,640 in 2012 (,220 per month). More on this in a moment. .In addition, Avik Roy – Co-Founder and President of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity – suggested that lawmakers focus on increased transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. He said if action is not taken reduce prescription drug prices, "the poor, vulnerable, and elderly have the most to lose." .Florida's contact tracing program has been mired in controversy over reports that it is understaffed and ineffective. For instance, CNN called 27 Floridians who tested positive for COVID-19 and found that only five had been contacted by health authorities. (The Florida Department of Health did not respond to requests for an interview.) .In the weeks ahead, The Senior Citizens League will continue to advocate tirelessly for the adoption of the CPI-E Act (H.R. 1251). We will also be keeping a close eye on the 2019 Social Security COLA announcement that is set to occur next Thursday, on October 11th. For updates, follow TSCL on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website. .Most people don't know where to begin, and the process is designed to overwhelm you before you start. You, however, do not have to be one of these people. All you need to do is to call and set up a free counseling session with a local Medicare benefits counselor. Do this NOW. Locate the program in your area on the State Health Insurance Program website — https://www.shiptacenter.org. .Moving between retirement communities and facilities can be burdensome and costly. Here are four things to avoid when looking into retirement living: