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  • Congressional Corner The Payroll Tax Cuts Not The Problem Privatization Is

    In presenting the award, TSCL Chairman Larry Hyland stated: "Congressman McIntyre's dedication and commitment to defending the benefits of seniors is greatly appreciated and has not gone unnoticed … By taking a stand, he brings seniors one step closer to the retirement security they deserve." TSCL was pleased to announce Rep. McIntyre as the recipient of the 2012 Seniors Advocate Award this week, and we are grateful for his hard work on behalf of seniors across the country. .Lawmakers Avert Government Shutdown .I turn 65 later this year and I'm in good health. How much will Medicare premiums cost, and what other costs will I have? I do not get health insurance where I work. … Continued

  • Q A June 2021

    Almost 53% of retirees say they don't have dental insurance, and more than 55% of that group say they have postponed dental procedures due to costs, according to TSCL's recent Senior Cost Survey. Despite limits on what dental insurance covers, it may provide some help, especially for routine preventive care, but finding the right coverage takes some shopping around, and you may need to wait for more than a year before coverage starts for more extensive services like crowns and bridge work. .I believe it is imperative that we fully support programs that protect the nation's most vulnerable, and ensure that they can easily access them in their time of need. The SNAP Simplification for the Elderly Act will make great strides in that direction. .One glitch that trapped working seniors during the 2010 tax season involved the 0 economic stimulus payment beneficiaries received if they were getting Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), railroad retirement or veterans' disability compensation. The 0 payment reduced the Making Work Pay Tax Credit that working seniors could claim to a maximum of 0 (individual) or 0 (joint). The IRS withholding tables that employers used in 2009 and 2010, however, did not adjust for those payments. Compounding the problems for seniors, the problematic IRS withholding tables also allowed reduced withholdings for pensions — even though pension income was not even eligible for the credit. … Continued

In short, there are two main obstacles to the "Pelosi" bill to lower drug prices: overcoming objections from House Democratic progressives and getting through the Republican opposition in the Senate. .When a zero COLA was announced for 2016, the Medicare Trustees projected that the Part B premium and deductible amounts would increase by an unprecedented 52 percent between 2015 and 2016 — from 4.90 to 9.30 per month.[7] Passage of The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, however resulted in reducing the increase in Part B premiums from 9.30 per month to 1.80 per month, which was still an extremely high 16.1 percent increase. The premium included a repayment amount that was added to monthly premiums of all beneficiaries in future years to recover over time the cost of the reduced premium rate in 2016.[8] .Commodities and Services Pricing Survey, an establishment survey of businesses selling goods and services to consumers, used to provide the price data for the CPI .As we have previously written, there is a bill that has passed out of the Senate Finance Committee called the Grassley-Wyden bill but Senator McConnell also refuses to bring that bill to the floor for consideration. The Grassley-Wyden bill is co-sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-OR). .A study conducted by TSCL has found that Social Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000 over the same period that Medicare Part B premiums grew by 195 percent. Social Security benefits on the other hand have grown by only 43 percent. The findings represent an especially big loss in buying power of 7 percent from January of 2016 to January of 2017. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) – signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 973). The cosponsor total is now up to 13If signed into law, the bill would repeal two federal provisions that unfairly reduce or eliminate the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. TSCL enthusiastically supports the Social Security Fairness Act, and we were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on to it this week. .Elder abuse affects an estimated 14.1 percent of all non-institutionalized older adults each year, and for every case reported, another twenty-three cases go unnoticed. It is a serious and ongoing problem that Congress must tackle as soon as possible in order to ensure the retirement security of seniors. .This week, The Senior Citizens League's legislative team hand-delivered nearly eight hundred petitions to leaders in the Senate. The petitions urged lawmakers to support legislation that would boost Social Security benefits while strengthening the financing of the program by adopting the Social Security Expansion Act (S. 427). .Last week we told you that President Trump issued four executive orders concerning prescription drug prices. We explained that we at TSCL are taking a "wait and see" approach because of concerns about the orders and the limitations that are involved with them.