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  • Tag Social Security Cola Feed

    Two new pieces of legislation in addition to H.R.1565 (see above) have been introduced to stop these kinds of scams. .Four Key Bills Gain Support in Congress .TSCL is fighting the plan to chain COLAs and believes seniors need a COLA that more adequately protects the buying power of their Social Security benefits. "Members of Congress are more likely to re-think voting for legislation when they see a large number of seniors are adamantly opposed to cutting COLAs," says Hyland. To learn more about proposals that would affect your Social Security benefits, get tips on reducing your Medicare costs, and sign up for TSCL's free online newsletter The Social Security & Medicare Advisor, visit TSCL at . … Continued

  • New Medicaremedicaid Managed Care Pilot Program Confusing Start Central Virginia

    Medicare Savings Programs cover the cost of the Medicare Part B premium, saving a person 8.50 per month in 202Depending on income, those with the lowest income may also qualify for additional benefits that cover the Part B deductible and out-of-pocket costs. People with incomes in 2020 of up to ,456 per month (individual) or ,960 (married couples) might be eligible if they have limited savings and resources of ,860 (individuals) or ,800 (married couples). These limits are slightly higher for Hawaii and Alaska. This program is administered through state Medicaid programs and states may have guidelines that allow people with slightly higher income to enroll. If interested ,contact your local Medicaid office to apply. .Sources: "Cost, Logistics Of Obama Immigration Plan Raise Concerns Before Launch," Doug McKelway, Fox News, February 13, 201Testimony of Eileen O'Connor, Esq., Before The Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Government Affairs, February 4, 201"How Changes In Immigration Policy Might Affect The Federal Budget," The Congressional Budget Office, January 2015. .We know from past surveys and email comments that you want the freedom to choose how you receive your Medicare benefits — either through a Medigap supplement and Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. Nobody wants to get a cancellation notice or to give up their doctor, hospital or other important provider because their health plan is closing. Maintaining affordable access to quality healthcare coverage is the key issue for every Medicare beneficiary and for TSCL. Coming up with a plan to pay for all this is the hard part which depends heavily on how quickly we can get our economy up and running full speed again and get people back to work. … Continued

Welcome to the month of February! This week, President Donald Trump addressed the nation in his first State of the Union, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) monitored negotiations at one Senate hearing. In addition, four key bills gained new cosponsors in the House and Senate. .Raise the age—currently 67 for people born in 1960 or later— at which workers become eligible for full retirement benefits; or .In fact, according to TSCL's annual survey of senior costs, Social Security benefits have lost more than one-third of their buying power since 2000 because COLAs underpay recipients. TSCL supports using the CPI-E to determine COLAs that better take into account the spending patterns of older people. For well over a decade, TSCL has lobbied Congress to make the COLA more fair and accurate. TSCL is mobilizing seniors nationwide to contact Members of Congress. .This tax hike will disproportionally hit America's oldest and most vulnerable populations. Seniors make up more than half of those claiming the medical expense deduction. .Medicare Advantage — Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are popular because they tend to have much lower, or even zero premiums. In addition, many MA plans offer drug coverage. These plans may have deductibles, and charge co-pays for most services, leaving you at risk of more in out-of-pocket costs when you use services. Starting in 2011 for the first time, all plans include a limit on out-of-pocket spending that cannot exceed ,700. .I'm grateful for TSCL's work as guards and advocates to help us keep up with all that affects what we have to rely on. I've often used the information from this website to contact my Congress members and the President to let them know where we stand on issues, and that as retirees, we are the largest and most consistent voting bloc that crosses all party lines. — Mr. & Mrs. Lance Colvin, WA .The bill would reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to just four — 12 percent, 25 percent, 35 percent — and would keep the highest bracket at 39.6 percent. It also increases the standard deduction from ,350 (individuals)/,700 (married couples) to ,000 (individuals)/,000 (married couples). While the standard deduction would increase, taxpayers on the other hand would lose personal exemptions — the ones for themselves, a spouse and/or dependents, which currently are ,050 per person. Exemptions would be replaced with a 0 credit through 2022, and eliminated thereafter. .Recently we received the following from one of our readers: .What Kind Of Health Insurance Do Members of Congress Get?