News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending August 17 2018

    Don't delay. To learn more, find a local Social Security office or to apply online, visit the Social Security website at SocialSecurity.gov or call the Social Security Administration toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 .Recently I got a notice that my bank account was overdrawn. When I checked with the bank, my Social Security direct deposit was never received. I called the local Social Security office and learned that a request in my name was made to switch from my direct deposit account to a prepaid debit card. I never authorized this. How safe are the direct deposits and what can I do to get my money back? .The Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act (H.R. 574) also gained a cosponsor – Rep. Pete Gallego (TX-23) – this week, bringing the total up to thirty-five. If signed into law, H.R. 574 would repeal and replace the SGR, bringing increased stability to the Medicare program for both physicians and beneficiaries. … Continued

  • Why The Social Security Disability Insurance Program Is Going Broke

    What should you do? If you still use paper tax returns, don't wait for the forms and instructions to show up in your mailbox. The IRS did not send any out this year. Visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov for forms, instructions, and to file online. Free tax assistance services may be available in your area, or call your local IRS taxpayer assistance office. .There are two types of U.S. debt: debt held by the public, like U.S. savings bonds, and debt held by government accounts. The Social Security Trust Fund is the single biggest government account holding U.S. debt, with the federal government owing the Trust Fund about .8 trillion. Since 2010, the program has paid out more in benefits than it receives in cash revenues, requiring the U.S. treasury to borrow to pay the interest due on the non-marketable bonds or I.O.U.s held by the Trust Funds — money that is needed to pay the benefits of current beneficiaries. According to a recent TSCL poll, 95 percent of older voters say that money owed to the Social Security Trust Fund should be repaid in full. .Compare your drug and health plan options NOW during the Medicare Open Enrollment period before it ends on December 7th. Does your current drug plan even cover your expensive new prescription? If not, you need to check your other options. Chances are another plan will. Use the Drug and Health Plan Finder at www.Medicare.gov. Make sure you carefully enter every prescription drug you take in order to get a custom comparison of your best drug plan choices. Costs can vary by hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, and you may be very surprised by the savings from switching to a better plan. … Continued

Congressional support for a bi-partisan deficit reduction solution before the November 21st deadline is dwindling as each day passes. Republican co-chairman of the joint committee, Rep. Jen Hensarling (TX-5), expressed discontent with Democratic colleagues this week for rejecting the latest GOP offer. "I will give my Democratic colleagues credit for at least putting some reforms on the table, but frankly they do not solve the problem," Hensarling said. .New Medicare Enrollees in 201Because these people are new to Medicare, they pay the full amount in 2017 when they sign up. .On Wednesday, TSCL's Board of Trustees, along with Executive Director Shannon Benton, presented Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC-7) with the 2012 Seniors Advocate Award for his efforts on behalf of the nation's senior citizens. For more than fifteen years, Rep. McIntyre has been a leader dedicated to the issues that matter the most to TSCL's members and supporters. .If signed into law, the Medicare Advantage Participant Bill of Rights Act would prevent Medicare Advantage plans from dropping physicians from their networks during the middle of the year, and it would require them to finalize their networks sixty days prior to the start of the open enrollment period. .Is The Government Manipulating COLAs? .It is bad enough that non-medical professionals are involved in criminal activity like this but for a doctor to be part of it is outrageous. .I care deeply about guaranteeing that all Americans have access to food, regardless of their income. That is why I introduced this bill. .In February, after lawmakers allowed two government shutdowns to briefly take effect, Members of Congress finally passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 201The massive budget deal set spending levels for two years and lifted the debt ceiling through March of next year. It came as a surprise to many in Washington – including The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) – and the agreement put an end to cycles of funding extensions that temporarily and irresponsibly funded the federal government for years. .The massive effort is needed to change how 59 million people enrolled in Medicare are identified. Historically the red, white, and blue Medicare cards have used the beneficiaries' Social Security number for the Medicare ID number. Unsurprisingly those numbers are a prime target for identity theft and fraud. The new cards come with a unique computer-generated series of 11 letters and numbers.