Increase the taxable maximum wages. Raise the maximum wages upon which Social Security is paid, currently 6,800. .Even though I'm not on Medicare yet, these new quality initiatives will, one way or another will affect most patients, even those like me who are still under the age of 65 as doctors reorganize. I felt dumped. .Compounding the problem, in 2004 the U.S. and Mexico signed a totalization agreement allowing people who split their careers between two countries to receive a harmonized retirement benefit from the two governments. Since 1978, the U.S. has entered into similar agreements with 21 countries, and, as with previous agreements, the U.S.- Mexico totalization agreement applies only to legal U.S. residents. .Last year, I co-founded the bipartisan House Retirement Security Caucus in order to raise awareness about the importance of properly planning for retirement (and the pitfalls of not doing so). As co-chairman of the caucus, I am committed to making sure the federal government does not make retirement planning more complicated than it should be. Just recently, in response to the Department of Labor's proposed "fiduciary rule" that could restrict Americans' access to financial advice, I voted for the SAVERS Act (H.R. 4294), which would protect such access while also helping to ensure that financial advisors act in the best interest of the retirees and families they serve. .(Washington, DC) – Social Security recipients are likely to get an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 6 to a 6.1 percent in 2022, according to The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The COLA that becomes payable in January of 2022 would be the highest since 198"Our forecast is based on CPI data through August, and there is still one more month of consumer price data to come in before we get the official announcement in October, says Mary Johnson, Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. .Lawmakers from both the House and Senate remained in their home states and districts for the last week of the month-long August recess. They are expected to return to Washington on September 5th, where they will face many important challenges including lifting the debt ceiling and passing a spending bill to continue funding the government. .Often, the most consequential decisions are those we make only once or twice in a lifetime. But decision – making itself is a skill that takes practice. That means we can get better at it. Even with practice though, it's almost impossible to forecast whether our decisions will work out. Often there are hidden factors at play, influencing our decisions, of which we may not even be aware. Learning about how our minds could be sabotaged, and how we could be nudged in wrong direction, can help us improve our decisions. One of these nudges is called the "anchor effect." .From my standpoint, the Federal Government has no business obtaining your personal medical data. There is no space in the examining room for the government. In response, I introduced H.R. 3218 on October 13, 2011 with Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas. Rep. Huelskamp wrote an op-ed that first brought light to this issue and I am happy to have worked with him in crafting this legislation. H.R. 3218 would "amend section 1343 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to ensure the privacy of individually identifiable health information in connection with risk adjustment." The Federal Government should not be inserting itself in your health care decision-making process. .For example, those living in North Carolina's 3rd congressional district received emails introducing them to Congressman Walter Jones, sponsor of the Social Security Guarantee Act, and consistent supporter of important bills like the Notch Fairness Act and the Social Security Fairness Act. Those living in Oregon's 4th district received emails introducing Congressman Peter DeFazio, sponsor of three critical bills: the CPI-E Act, the Social Security Protection and Truth in Budgeting Act, and the No Loopholes in Social Security Taxes Act. These and other campaign efforts proved to be successful, as many critical lawmakers won their re-election bids and will continue to advocate for seniors in the next session of Congress.