Can I expect a cost of living increase this next year? Something needs to happen! .The group of retirees born from 1917 through 1926 (1), who became eligible for retirement benefits immediately after the 1977 law changes, was affected. Those born during the Notch years generally received substantially lower benefits than those paid to retirees born before and after them. When represented on a chart, the disparity in benefits forms a deep "V" notch, hence the name. .Gathering support for the legislation, which would cap drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries and force drug manufacturers to provide Medicare inflation rebates, has been an uphill battle for Grassley over the past year. .At the same time, prices for generic drugs were slightly lower in the U.S. than in most other nations. Specifically, the U.S. spent an average of Many seniors can save substantially on drug costs by using mail order, and it's worth looking into. Be sure to use your drug plan's "preferred provider" mail order service. If you go outside of your drug plan's mail order network, your plan may not cover your drugs. .This week, The Senior Citizens League saw support grow for three key bills that would strengthen and improve the Social Security and Medicare programs if adopted by Congress. .In 2018, 74% of participants in TSCL's 2018 Senior Survey said to improve Social Security's financing, they support applying the full 12.4% Social Security payroll tax to all earnings, rather than just limiting the amount of wages that are taxable, which is 2,900 in 201Fifty nine percent of survey participants support very gradually raising the Social Security payroll tax by 1% each for workers and employers. TSCL is working to acquaint Congress with Social Security financing changes that have the broadest support among older Americans. .We are still learning how well COVID-19 vaccines keep people from spreading the disease. .With China taking drastic measures to try and contain the spread of the disease, including quarantines and shutting down some industries, production to supply America's pharmacies and medicine cabinets is at risk of interruption. .Joint filers in households where both spouses work or where one or both spouses have more than one job. .Some MA plans, including UnitedHealth – the largest provider of MA coverage – have already begun modifying their offerings in order to accommodate the increasing financial pressure. Last year, UnitedHealth dropped thousands of physicians from its networks, which left many enrollees doctor-less. Without much notice, they had to either find new physicians, or pay more out-of-pocket to see their former, trusted and out-of-network doctors. Because the open enrollment period had already ended, seniors were unable to change plans in order to keep their physicians and their low costs. .For information about town hall meetings near you in the days ahead, call the local offices of your elected officials. For contact information, click HERE. .New Medicare Enrollees in 201Because these people are new to Medicare they have not had an increase in the Part B premium. Thus, they must pay the full amount in 2017 when they sign up. .84 cents for a generic that would have cost an average of elsewhere, according to the report from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization. .The SNAP Simplification for the Elderly Act will build upon the success of the USDA's Elderly Simplified Application Project by extending the SNAP recertification periods for households from 12 to 36 months if all adult household members are elderly, disabled or enrolled in Medicaid or the Medicare Savings Program. .Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has indicated he will not bring the bill up for a vote until he knows there are enough Republicans who support it so that it can pass. .For more information on town hall meetings near you during the August recess, click HERE. For more sample town hall questions, read this month's Legislative Update HERE. .Now, it turns out, AbbVie is helping to fund ads attacking legislation that would lower prescription drug costs. .In fact, your best bet, and one that could help you save hundreds of dollars on your health insurance costs, is to get the unbiased advice of a trained Medicare benefits counselor through your state Health Insurance Assistance Program. The program provides free one-on-one local health insurance counseling through many local Area Agencies on Aging. To find the agency nearest you, consult your phone book or The Eldercare Locator. You may find the information resources at www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp or you may speak to an Eldercare Locator information specialist by calling toll-free at 1-800-677-1116 weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET).