News

  • Legislative Update Februarymarch 2017

    Low and middle-income earners pay taxes on all of their earnings. In recent years, however, the share of total wages earned in the U.S. and subject to Social Security payroll tax has declined because the earnings of the most highly paid workers have grown rapidly. Most of the proposals to increase the taxable maximum would also raise benefits of the affected workers by counting earnings above the old cap in the benefit formula. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that eliminating the taxable maximum would extend the Social Security solvency as much as 50 years.[1] .TSCL is encouraged by the President's comments on drug prices, and we urge the administration to do everything in its power to bring down costs for consumers in the months ahead. In the meantime, our legislative team will continue to advocate for legislation like the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S. 771, H.R. 1776), which would take comprehensive steps to lower costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. .The loss of a job entitles each of you to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), but the rules and deadlines will differ for each of you. Because your husband is under the age of 65, he should check options for coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.Healthcare.Gov). Because of your husband's job loss, your income may be lower and he may qualify for an advance premium tax credit subsidy that would lower the cost of premiums. … Continued

  • Update For March 20 2021

    Second, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 141), bringing the total up to 16The new cosponsors are Representatives Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Bradley Byrne (AL-1), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-2), and Josh Harder (CA-10). This bipartisan bill, if adopted, would make the Social Security program more equitable by repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These two provisions of law unfairly cut the Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, police officers, and other state or local government employees, often by 40 percent or more. By repealing both provisions, the Social Security Fairness Act would ensure that public servants receive the Social Security benefits they have earned and deserve. .Moreover, U.S. dependence on China for drugs and drug products is growing. Its imports of Chinese medical equipment increased 78 percent between 2010 and 2018. .For help estimating how much your benefits should be, the Social Security website has an earnings test calculator. For more information about the earnings limits, get "How Work Affects Your Benefits" Social Security Publication No. 05-10069. … Continued

This week, House lawmakers remained in their home districts to continue the August recess. Meanwhile, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow in the Senate for three bipartisan bills that would strengthen the Medicare program. .National Emergency Stockpile to be Increased .In January, lawmakers on Capitol Hill will likely begin efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, overhaul the tax code, dramatically alter trade deals, and confirm a new Supreme Court Justice. It remains to be seen which other policy issues will be prioritized by the Republican Congress. Efforts to reform the Social Security and Medicare programs have been on the table for years, and in the platform that the Republican party adopted back in July, lawmakers agreed that "of the many reforms being proposed, all options should be considered." Proposals to raise the Medicare eligibility age or to adopt the "chained" CPI – which would result in more slowly-growing Social Security cost-of-living adjustments – could see congressional action in 2017. .Last week we told you that unless Congress passed new legislation soon, there would be significant cuts in Medicare payments to health care providers, such as doctors and hospitals. And if that happened it is quite possible those patients covered by Medicare would likely face negative consequences with regard to their health care. .The Social Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing to discuss the problems facing seniors and the vital roll Social Security plays in the well-being of America's seniors. .Source: The Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook, Government Accountability Office, October 201"Monitoring Medicare+Choice, What Have We Learned?" Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., August, 2004. .What is it going to cost? Is there a less expensive alternative? .First, the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (S. 521, H.R. 141) gained eight new cosponsors in the Senate and the House, bringing the cosponsor totals up to thirty and 165, respectively. The new cosponsors are: Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA), Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Representative Sean Casten (IL-6), Representative Susan Davis (CA-53), Representative Elaine Luria (VA-2), Representative Colin Allred (TX-32), Representative Ed Case (HI-1), and Representative Filemon Vela (TX-34). .However, experts say the actual cost of living for Social Security beneficiaries is rising and their quality of life is falling. Social Security recipients have lost nearly a fourth of their buying power over the last 15 years, according to the Senior Citizens League.