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  • Free Best Ways To Save Guide For Seniors

    This week, four new cosponsors signed on to Rep. Schwartz's (PA-13) Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act (H.R. 5707), bringing the total up to eighteen. The new cosponsors are: Reps. Ed Perlmutter (CO-7), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Mazie Hirono (HI-2), and Paul Tonko (NY-21). .Some want legislation to correct inequities for those born from 1917 through 1921, while others believe Notch reform must include the years through 192It is important to remember that hundreds of our elected officials agree that there is a Notch, and that Notch Victims deserve justice. However, some interpret the complicated rules affecting Social Security differently from others. We respect and continue to support all Members of Congress who are courageous enough to advocate Notch Reform of any sort. To read more on the Notch, click here: What is the "Notch"? .The Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act (H.R. 2575) also gained one new cosponsor this week, bringing its total up to seven in the House. If signed into law, the bill from Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-36) would simplify the Medicare enrollment process and ensure that those nearing eligibility are adequately informed about the program's benefits. Its new cosponsor is Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12). … Continued

  • Notch Bulletin August 2011 Advisor

    All Americans will one day become seniors, and so it should be the priority of all members of Congress to make retirement planning easier and to defend and strengthen programs like Medicare and Social Security for future generations. .Now that March has arrived, winter is starting to appear in the rearview mirror, large sections of the country will experience unseasonably warm temperatures this week, Covid-19 vaccinations are picking up, and we are all getting tired of living the way we have for the past year. .Since the government transitioned from paper checks to less expensive electronic payment methods, the Social Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) has been investigating unauthorized changes to direct deposits that redirect seniors' benefit payments into accounts set up by crooks. As of June 1, 2013, the OIG's office has received more 50 reports per day involving attempts to make such a change, most often involving redirecting benefits to the prepaid Direct Express debit card accounts. … Continued

The Social Security Trustees estimated last year that SS payroll taxes in 2020 would be about 3.8 billion under average economic conditions. Thus the 6 billion cost of the payroll tax provision in the CARES Act appears to be as much as 42% of all anticipated Social Security revenues for 2020. .By Jessie Gibbons, Legislative Analyst .Eight new Members of Congress signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 1332) this week, bringing the cosponsor total up to 11If signed into law, the Social Security Fairness Act would repeal the government pension offset (GPO) and the windfall elimination provision (WEP) of the Social Security Act. .Finance Committee Questions HHS Nominee .This week TSCL has been focused on two issues we are very concerned about. The first is the payroll tax cut that we told you about last week. As a reminder, President Trump has said he wants a payroll tax cut in the next financial relief legislation Congress develops in response to the coronavirus. TSCL opposes that because it would further damage the financial well-being of the Social Security and Medicare programs. Both programs already need fixing because the lack of financial resources in the coming years may result cutting benefits to seniors. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is among Congressional leaders who have already called for that, although they don't call it cutting benefits, they say there is a need to "reign in the costs" of the programs. .Because of the collapse in the real estate market, experts say that thousands of seniors who need assisted living or nursing home care are remaining in their homes longer because they can't sell or get the price they need to cover their long term care. According to Harris Meyer, in an article for Kaiser Health News, the situation is leaving families under pressure to either pay for their parents' placement with their own money, or to provide care themselves. .According to Rep. Roskam, the bill would enhance data sharing between states and agencies so that they can more easily catch scammers, and it would modernize outdated fraud prevention systems. Upon introducing the bill, Rep. Carney said, "In this Congress, it's not easy to find areas where Democrats and Republicans agree, but fighting waste, fraud, and abuse while saving billions of taxpayer dollars just makes sense." .CBO is strictly nonpartisan; conducts objective, impartial analysis; and hires its employees solely on the basis of professional competence without regard to political affiliation. CBO does not make policy recommendations, and each report and cost estimate summarizes the methodology underlying the analysis. .Each month, due to the Social Security Act Amendments that were signed into law in 1977, more than 3.7 million Notch babies receive Social Security checks that are lower than the benefits they originally anticipated. Last year, Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-7) introduced the Notch. Benefit Bulletin: June 2012 "Tough Choices" — Payroll Tax Cut For Illegals Or Notch Reform?