News
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Best Ways Save April 2018
(Washington, DC) A new analysis from The Senior Citizens League takes a look at what the Social Security Trust Fund might collect in payroll tax revenues from just a few of the highest paid U.S. workers. "In a sampling of just 20 CEOs from the Fortune top 80 companies, the analysis found that total base salaries and performance pay not currently taxed for Social Security is expected to total 1.5 million in 2018, averaging more than million per CEO sampled," stated Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. .New Legislation to Stop Looming Cuts to Medicare Urgently Needed .COLA cuts: Use the "chained" Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Supporters say that the difference would be small, reducing the COLA about .3 tenths of a percentage point per year. But TSCL estimates this "small" change would cost retirees, with average benefits of ,170 in 2011, some ,223 over a 25-year retirement. … Continued
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June 2013 Abc News Center 10
Determining when to move to a senior living facility is a complicated decision — making process that involves being able to think dispassionately and realistically about long-term needs. That's a tall order for anybody. It often means talking to others, getting outside opinions, and help from professionals. .The Social Security Administration recently announced that the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will raise benefits by 2.8% for 201The average retirement benefit of ,400 will increase by .20 per month, to ,439.20. The Medicare Part B premium increase for 2019 will be 5.50 per month — just .50 per month more than the 4 in 201The COLA, the highest in 7 years, and a low Medicare Part B premium increase, should mean most retirees can finally expect a modest boost in net Social Security benefits. .Ask about insurer discounts. When shopping, learn what the prospective insurer gives discounts for. Smoke detectors, burglar alarms and dead bolt locks can be worth a 5% premium discount. … Continued
Popular with Medicare recipients, Medicare Advantage plans typically offer very low, or even no, monthly premiums, lower costs for some services than traditional fee-for-service Medicare, and coverage for some services that traditional Medicare does not cover, such as dental and vision care. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has more than doubled over the last decade, from 11.1 million in 2010, to 24.1 million in 2020. Ensuring the proper payment level is important not only for the federal government, but also for beneficiaries, since overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans drive up overall Part B costs and cause higher Part B premiums for all beneficiaries, even those not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. .This week, a House committee held a high-profile hearing on recent developments in the prescription drug market, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for one key bill. .More information available on our website: .For each visitor to our website, The Senior Citizens League collects only the domain name and aggregate information on what pages are visited. This information is used to help improve the content and ease of use of our website. .Our nation is in a hyper-partisan period as the November elections approach. In this environment it becomes tricky when reporting about issues that affect you and other TSCL supporters because the issues are so often intertwined with politics. .Have you heard anything about congress fixing a Social Security cut for those of us born in 1960? — K.S. .Mary: Who tends to use anchors to influence our decisions, and when should we be wary? .TSCL agrees with Rep. Johnson, and we believe Congress must begin formulating a serious plan to fix the program's finances. Recently, we announced our support for two pieces of legislation that we believe are long overdue. One bill (S. 499 / H.R. 918) would prevent beneficiaries from collecting both unemployment benefits and disability insurance benefits at the same time. The second bill (S. 1198 / H.R. 1936) would ensure that evidence from convicted felons and other criminals is excluded when determining whether an individual is eligible for disability benefits. .The toll free number for the VA Hotline is .