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  • June 2013 Silobreaker

    However, it differs from the House version which means it must go back to the House to see if it will agree with the changes that were made. .Millions of Americans Forgoing Health Care .Studies show the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, the only two approved by the U.S. so far, are fully effective at one to two weeks after the second dose, depending on the vaccine; while they prevent disease, it is not clear whether they prevent asymptomatic infection … Continued

  • H R 1631 Save Social Security Act

    A surviving beneficiary spouse is one who collects Social Security benefits not from their own account, but from the account of his or her deceased spouse. To find out more about Notch Reform benefits for surviving beneficiaries, click here: What Happens to Benefit Payments When Your Spouse is Deceased? .Currently, the funding for Social Security and Medicare programs comes from specific taxes for each program that are levied on the income of every working American. Once collected by the Internal Revenue Service, they pay for current beneficiaries. In years prior to the 2008 recession, more money was collected for Social Security and Medicare than was paid out to seniors. The surpluses were directed to their respective trust funds; however, they were never safeguarded and as result the accounts were raided of cash intended to help our seniors and replaced with Government I.O.U.s. .On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees – along with Shannon Benton (Executive Director), former Congressman Van Hilleary (Legislative Consultant), and TSCL's staff – spent the day meeting with four Congressional offices. Support was expressed for a number of bills that would strengthen Social Security benefits for older Americans, including the CPI-E Act (H.R. 3961), the CPI for Seniors Act (H.R. 3074), and the Honesty in CPI Reporting Act (H.R. 3500). … Continued

Example: Let's say Sally had a Social Security benefit of ,000 in 201The Part B premium that year was 4.90. In 2016 there was no COLA, and Sally continued to receive ,000. But the Medicare Part B premium in 2016 increased to 1.80 per month. Sally's Part B premium was adjusted downward and she continued to pay the same 4.90 Medicare Part B premium that she paid the previous year, to prevent a reduction in her Social Security benefits in 2016. .Drug companies and some patient groups have long criticized proposals like this last rule, saying it would reduce innovation and access to certain medications. In addition, drug makers are particularly leery of the approach since Democrats want to use it more broadly to allow Medicare to directly negotiate prices. .Currently, when hold harmless is triggered on a nationwide scale there is no provision of law to finance the unpaid portion of Medicare Part B premium increases. Instead, the entire burden of Part B costs is spread over a much smaller number of individuals, which is the 30 percent of Medicare Part B enrollees who are not protected by the hold harmless provision. This has led to significant spikes in Medicare Part B premiums during the hold harmless years, and in 2018 when a COLA finally became payable, to steep jumps in premiums for those whose Medicare Part B premiums were held lower in 2016 and 2017. .TSCL Wants to Know: Did You Wind Up Owing Uncle Sam? .Also, this week the Trump administration announced plans to keep 90 days of medical supplies on hand to help gird against future flare-ups of the outbreak, something that we think should have been made national policy a long time ago. .Scientists do not know why vaccinations might reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. But previous research has hinted at a connection. And there are several potential explanations. .Lower prescription drug prices is one of our top priorities and we will continue to fight for them as long as it takes, and for whatever actions it takes to reduce them. .The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) relies on donations from supporters to carry out its mission on behalf of senior citizens and retirees. The organization does not receive any government funding. .Drug companies deserve a reasonable profit for taking on this urgent task of creating a COVID-19 vaccine. But we deserve a return, too.