News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending July 14 2017

    This week's announcement from SSA came as concerns from the Administration were rising about pending budget proposals before Congress. Lawmakers in the House have proposed more than 0 million less than the requested amount for administrative duties. SSA has said that if their proposal were to take effect, they would be forced to implement immediate furloughs, hiring freezes, and temporary office closures. .On Tuesday – despite projections that showed large gains for Democrats on Capitol Hill – lawmakers on the right swept elections across the country. For the first time in eight years, Republicans will control the House, the Senate, and the White House when the 115th Congress begins in January. Senator Roy Blunt (MO), who narrowly held on to his Senate seat on Tuesday, told reporters: "A Republican president and a Republican Senate and a Republican House can do things to change this country." .According to the group, the plan would reduce the deficit by trillion and it would save enrollees approximately ,500 per year, but it's controversial for two major reasons. First, it would completely eliminate traditional Medicare, whereas many other reform proposals would keep it as an option. Second, those already enrolled in Medicare would be affected by the transition, which would have a 2014 start date. Other reform proposals would delay implementation to protect seniors from any drastic or sudden changes. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending April 20 2012

    TSCL recently released an analysis of the proposal that estimates the chained CPI would cut the growth in average benefits of ,100 today by ,634 over the course of a 25-year retirement, and that assumes that the economy becomes more stable soon. The reductions in COLA growth compound over time, and are the deepest when seniors are the oldest and sickest. By the time seniors are in their late 80s or 90s, when they are most likely to have chronic health problems, monthly benefits would be about 5 lower using the chained CPI. .At this time, the FDA has authorized one COVID-19 self-test to be completely used and processed at home. You will risk unknowingly spreading COVID-19 or not getting treated appropriately if you use an unauthorized test. .Finally, two cosponsors also signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 896 and H.R. 1795) this week, bringing the total up to eleven in the Senate and eighty-five in the House. The new cosponsors are Sen. Bernard Sanders (VT) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47). If signed into law, H.R. 1795 would repeal two provisions of the Social Security Act that unfairly reduce the earned benefits of millions of state and local government employees each year. The provisions – the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset – prevent dedicated public servants from receiving the retirement security they have earned. … Continued

TSCL is concerned because even though illegals approved for the program don't gain legal status, they do gain work-authorized Social Security numbers. This work-authorized number is all that the government requires to later allow non-citizens to file a claim for Social Security benefits. Under current law, the government uses all earnings to determine entitlement, as well as the amount of the initial retirement or disability benefit, even if jobs were worked illegally. .This is a major blow to military retirees whose reasons for settling around a military base included getting the health care they were promised when they agreed to serve a career in the Armed Forces. .How do I go about contacting the Social Security Administration? .Here is an example from the SSA's Inspector General audit report: A beneficiary had been entitled to spousal benefits since February 200The beneficiary had not received retirement benefits (based on her own earnings) and earned delayed retirement credits between full retirement age and age 70. In January 2010, the beneficiary attained age 70, was eligible for a 5 monthly retirement benefit and was receiving a 9 monthly spousal benefit. Had SSA notified the beneficiary she was eligible for the higher retirement benefit, once she applied for those benefits, she could have received an additional ,345 from January 2010 through July 2013. .We have heard such offers before. Pharmaceutical companies routinely provide coupons to cover patient copayments for expensive drugs so that we do not squawk when they charge our insurance company tens of thousands for the medicine, driving up premiums year after year. A naloxone injector to reverse heroin overdoses is given free to some clinics but priced at thousands for the rest. .Mr. Kluck and The Senior Citizens League's legislative team met with several congressional offices — including the offices of House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Phil Roe (TN-1) and House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman John Larson (CT-1) — to discuss goals and strategies for the 116th Congress, which officially began on January 3rd, 2019. .Social Security Benefit Cuts Need to be Stopped .Ask your doctor if you have alternate insulin options to control your blood glucose levels. Novolin may be one of them, and it may be less expensive, but it acts differently than Lantus. Ask your doctor if there are any dietitians working with the clinic who can help you reduce your reliance on Lantus and thus the quantity you need to use. Perhaps you can take a combination of Novolin and Lantus. .How You Can Get Help With Heating Costs