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  • Category Tscl In The News Page 9

    Finally, one new cosponsor – Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) – signed on to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act (S. 99), bringing the cosponsor total up to eight. If adopted, this bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. .Those born during the Notch period "saved Social Security" by receiving lower benefits for the rest of their lives. They are the generation that fought and sacrificed during World War II. Now, although they receive lower benefits, they are among the senior age group hit hardest by escalating health care insurance premiums and prescription drug costs. .To learn more about the WEP, download the Social Security Administration Publication No. 05-10045 here — https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf. … Continued

  • Congressional Corner The Payroll Tax Cuts Not The Problem Privatization Is

    If these cuts ever went into effect, it could mean tens of millions of seniors no longer have access to their doctors and essential healthcare services. This is unacceptable. For too long, Congress has failed to seriously tackle the issue of physician payment reform, and instead has kicked the can down the road with short-term fixes that have now created a long-term fiscal nightmare. This has been the absolute wrong approach for American seniors and our federal budget. And that is why I have been working hard to protect seniors' access to their doctors by putting forth a plan to fix this broken system once and for all. .If all this sounds complicated — it is. But comparing these costs is well worth the effort. Depending on what you have now, Medicare may wind up saving you a considerable sum, and provide lower deductibles than what you get through your employer. This decision is important to get right, especially if you are married and your spouse is also getting health insurance through your employer's plan. If so, caution is advised because your decision affects your spouse's coverage. ."Our example just looked at the salaries and performance pay of just 20 CEOs," notes Johnson. "According to the Social Security Administration, there will be 12 million people who earn above the taxable maximum in 2018," she adds. … Continued

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed the nation in his first State of the Union. In his speech, the President reflected on the strong economic growth of the country and he shared his hopes for the year ahead. The President said he plans to push .5 trillion in infrastructure investments, to secure the southern border with Mexico, and to offer a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million immigrants known as "Dreamers." .The extensions will cost approximately 0 billion over ten years, and billion of that will be paid for by spending cuts and revenue increases. The remaining 0 billion, however, will be added to the budget deficit. .If Congress considers cuts to the COLA, changes in the benefit formula and increases in the retirement age, special attention will be needed regarding when changes would become effective and how they would be phased-in. The recession is already having a significant impact on the growth of Social Security benefits. If Congress cuts benefits, or reduces the growth in benefits during this slow recovery, it will likely produce a long lasting double-whammy effect for retirees. .The following chart illustrates 5 examples: .Both bills were adopted by the Senate earlier this year and by the House two weeks ago. At a signing ceremony on Wednesday, President Trump said: "This is very strong legislation to end these ‘gag clauses' once and for all … Our citizens deserve to know the lowest price available at our pharmacies, and now that's what they'll be getting." .All in all, it's too early to determine how much person-to-person transmission has occurred on plane flights. .This week TSCL Board member and Legislative Liaison, Doug Osborne, was in Washington. D.C. Mr. Osborne began his visit by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for Veteran's Day with TSCL's parent organization, TREThe Enlisted Association. Together with TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton and TSCL Legislative Consultant Larry Madison he spent the next two days on the "Hill" speaking with Congressional staff members about legislation TSCL is lobbying to pass in Congress. The focus of our efforts was on Social Security issues, specifically the "Notch" issue and the "Windfall Elimination Provision," (WEP) both of which affect many TSCL supporters. .Consequently, Medicare spent billion in 2013 but paid out billion by 2017 for these treatments. In addition, neurology medicines, mostly those used to combat multiple sclerosis, accounted for more than 50% of total Medicare payments, despite representing just 4% of all claims filed. .While Ponzi relied on keeping his financing scheme secret, Social Security's financing is well known. The Social Security trustees issue a detailed report every year that outlines the projected financing and outlays and funding problems of the program.