News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending September 28 2012

    Access to work authorization is a key issue for Social Security. With work authorization, non-citizen workers can become eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Under current law workers become fully eligible for Social Security benefits after ten years of work. A new survey by the Pew Hispanic Center indicates that an estimated 6.4 million illegals have been living in this country for at least 10 years and thus potentially would be in line for Social Security and Medicare should they receive work authorization. .Prevention of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse – Ensure that scarce Medicare and Social Security dollars are spent properly. .Julian Tang, an honorary associate professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester in England, said he is aware of several clusters of infection related to air travel. However, it is challenging to prove that people have caught the virus on a flight. … Continued

  • Best Ways Save April 2018

    The Senior Citizens League is disappointed that another Obamacare promise has been broken, and we are hopeful that the impact on seniors will be minimal. While UnitedHealth is the first Medicare Advantage insurance provider to announce doctor cuts, we do not expect them to be the last. For tips on checking your plan's provider networks or for other Medicare Advantage information, see "Out – Of – Pocket Costs Catch You By Surprise? How To Avoid "Sticker Shock" .On Tuesday evening, President Obama gave his fifth State of the Union Address before both chambers of Congress. To The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL's) surprise, the sixty-five minute speech included no mention of Social Security or Medicare, but the President did speak briefly about immigration reform and a new retirement savings plan called "myRA." .TSCL is working for the re-introduction of the Notch Fairness Act. This legislation would allow Notch Babies born from 1917 through 1926, or survivors who receive benefits on a Notch Baby's account, to choose a lump sum of ,000 payable in four annual installments of ,250, or an improved monthly benefit. … Continued

First, one new cosponsor, Representative Dean Phillips (MN-3), signed on to Congressman Larson's Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 860), bringing the total up to 20If adopted, this critical bill would strengthen and reform the Social Security program responsibly, without enacting benefit cuts for current or future retirees. It would also cut taxes for millions of seniors and create a new Special Minimum Benefit set at 125 percent of the poverty line. .Provides better payroll data collection to reduce improper payments due to work. .The Senior Citizens League is encouraging Congress to take the opportunity now to strengthen Social Security by beefing up the amount of earnings subject to payroll taxes, a tax provision that has widespread public support. The Senior Citizens League is delivering a letter to Congress this week calling for three tax reforms that would strengthen Social Security and provide relief to millions of older Americans. Those reforms include: .The savings compound over time and are huge. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that chaining the CPI would cut COLAs by 2 billion from 2012021 alone and, if used in other federal retirement programs and for indexing taxes, would reduce deficits by about 0 billion over the next decade. .Rep. Phil Roe (TN), who served as a witness at the Energy and Commerce hearing, introduced legislation in January to repeal the IPAB. The bill currently has bipartisan support and more than 160 cosponsors. While some, including President Obama and his Fiscal Commission, have proposed strengthening the authority of the IPAB, most at this week's hearings expressed their support for legislation that would eliminate it. .The process involves more than just an application. If you qualify you would also need to select a drug plan. You can apply for Extra Help anytime. Visit socialsecurity.gov/i1020 to apply online. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. .Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown announced a consumer price index bill for elderly consumers on Wednesday. Under the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) would be amended to use a formula that reflects the spending patterns of seniors. The current index is based on the spending patterns of urban workers. .Providing help in emergencies, such as utility shutoffs, and .Last week we learned that the top attorney in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), warned department officials that the program is potentially illegal because it could be in violation of federal election laws.