Which dentists and dental specialists in your area are in the plan's network? Does the dental plan require you to use a network of dentists, or do you have the freedom to choose any provider who accepts your insurance? Are you willing to switch dentists in order for your care to be covered? It's especially important to learn what periodontists and other specialists in your area are in the dental plan's network. If you need to get a tooth pulled and an implant, but no periodontist accepts your dental coverage, you may wind up needing to spend ,000 or more out-of-pocket for an implant. .Last May the House of Representatives passed a second coronavirus-related economic stimulus bill that addressed the on-going economic and medical hardships resulting from the pandemic. The legislation, which passed the House, included over trillion in relief for state and local governments, around 0 billion in hazard pay for essential workers, and billion for coronavirus testing and contact tracing. .In Washington, my priority is helping improve the lives of the American people, and that includes addressing our nation's retirement system to ensure it serves our seniors more effectively. One way Congress did this was by passing the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 201This bill, which passed with my support, will streamline and update our nation's retirement system in several ways, including removing the age limitation on IRA contributions, increasing access to retirement plans by allowing small businesses to join together to offer plans, and allowing penalty-free distributions from a retirement account for the birth or adoption of a child. This legislation isn't perfect, but it is a step forward, and I am glad the SECURE Act was passed into law at the end of 201While approximately half of American households still don't have an option for work-based retirement plans, as a nation we must continue to work to advance access to retirement savings vehicles and decrease barriers to entry for small employers who want to offer savings plans to their employees. .The debts in question involved cases decades old, and debts many taxpayers never even knew about — for benefits that were paid to their parents or guardians when they were children. If an overpayment is made on behalf of a child (such as survivors benefits) the child could be held liable years later as an adult. .Even though I have good insurance, I wound up with ,260 in unexpected out-of-pocket costs after being referred to a specialist who ordered "a few tests." I later learned that most, if not all of the tests I was given were probably unnecessary, and not recommended by the physician groups, based on my medical history. The visit with my specialist lasted only 15 minutes. At check out I learned the doctor had ordered four high-tech tests including a CT scan. No explanation was given about what the doctor was looking for, why the tests were necessary, or how they would help, nor was I given the opportunity to go back and ask the doctor before leaving. Nothing abnormal was found in any one of them. While I'm grateful for that, the stack of bills I received later forced me to tap savings that I was hoping to count on for retirement. .Irene is the first to say she wouldn't know where to begin when it comes to figuring out the best deal for her drug coverage. To accomplish this she gets unbiased advice and counseling. Her neighbor, Mary Johnson, is a Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). Johnson, who has assisted seniors to compare and enroll in plans since the start of Part D in 2006, says "the cost differences between plans can be huge - Irene saved about ,276 in 2011 alone." .In the 109th Congress, I co-sponsored legislation expressing CongressТ disapproval of the Totalization Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico because I believe it is imperative that we protect Social Security by preventing others from "gaming" the system. For this reason, I also co-sponsored the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005, legislation aimed at cracking down on Social Security fraud. .TSCL believes much more stringent measures are needed to protect Social Security and SSI programs from document fraud. TSCL supports legislation that would ban the use of unauthorized earnings for determining entitlement to Social Security benefits. In addition, TSCL supports stronger penalties for the use of fraudulent documents for obtaining federal benefits, including SSI. .This week, Members of Congress remained in their home states and districts for the week-long holiday recess. Meanwhile, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for two critical bills that would strengthen the Social Security program.