News

  • 2019 Social Security Cola 2

    Proxy voting allows a member of the House to give to another member the right to cast a vote on his or her behalf. The member authorizing the proxy will stipulate how the vote should be cast and the member casting the proxy vote is required to abide by the wishes of the member granting the proxy. .The FDA advises consumers to be cautious of websites and stores selling products that claim to prevent, treat or cure COVID-1There are no FDA-approved products to prevent COVID-1Products marketed for veterinary use, or "for research use only," or otherwise not for human consumption, have not been evaluated for safety and should never be used by humans. .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. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending June 23 2017

    Prices like these are not only unaffordable for most Medicare recipients, these costs also place pressure on Medicare's finances, since Medicare pays 80% of Part D costs during the catastrophic phase of coverage. Although drug plans vary significantly, the 2019 "standard Part D benefit" has a 5 deductible and a 25% co-insurance up to an initial coverage limit of ,820 in total drug costs. That includes both what consumers and their drug plans pay. Once total costs exceed that amount, beneficiaries hit the Part D "doughnut hole" or coverage gap. Under that stage of coverage, beneficiaries pay 25% coinsurance on the discounted price of brand name drugs, and 37% co-insurance for generics until they have spent a total out-of-pocket of ,100. At that point beneficiaries enter the catastrophic phase of coverage, but are still on the hook for 5% of the cost of their prescriptions. .TSCL thanks those who donated, and remembers those who fought in World War II. Read one such remembrance, "My Friend Paris" contributed by TSCL member, John Seavers. .At Wednesday's hearing, key witnesses made several recommendations for improving the process. Sita Nataraj Slavov – Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University – suggested that SSA stop using the term "retirement age" since it suggests that individuals should claim benefits immediately after they stop working. She also recommended that SSA begin referring to age 70 as the "full" retirement age since it is the age at which benefits are the highest. In addition, William Meyer of Social Security Solutions, Inc. suggested that SSA notify individuals of the annual difference in benefits they would receive if they delayed filing for one year. … Continued

Funding concerns are one of the key reasons TSCL is relieved SSA has decided to remove the text requirement from the login process. Without online access, more seniors than ever would have been relying on their local Social Security offices, and under-staffed offices would surely have been overwhelmed with requests. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15) – signed on to the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act (H.R. 2745), bringing the total up to thirty-two. If signed into law, the bill would prevent Social Security credits from being earned by work done illegally. Currently, those who receive work authorization may file a claim for Social Security benefits based on all earnings – even earnings from jobs where they used stolen, invalid, or fraudulent Social Security numbers. To protect the integrity of the Social Security program, TSCL believes this practice must be put to an end. ."If the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and Congress take no action to lower the Part B premium, most of those who were protected by "hold harmless" will need a hefty COLA in order to raise their benefit just to cover the cost of Medicare Part B premiums in 2018," Johnson says. .The announcement comes as the Super-Committee members consider how much savings should come from tax cuts versus spending cuts. If the committee cannot come to an agreement by the November 23rd deadline, across-the-board budget cuts will occur. .This week, Members of Congress remained in their home states and districts to continue the seven-week summer recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, September 6th. In the meantime, most Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts. TSCL encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to voice their concerns about important Social Security and Medicare issues. .Three Key Senate Bills Gain Support .Last year President Trump proposed lowering the prices of certain Medicare drug prices by tying those prices to lower prices paid in other developed countries. Under that proposal, prices would have been lower than they are now, but would still be a certain percentage higher than they are in other countries. The President was not satisfied with that idea, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. On Wednesday Azar said the President wants the proposal changed so that prices in the United States are even lower than they are in other countries. .This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate voted to begin conference negotiations on legislation to overhaul the tax code. Representatives in the House passed their tax reform bill last month, and Senators in the Senate passed their version last Friday, with a vote of 51-4Members of the bicameral conference committee have been busy ironing out the differences between the two bills this week, and they hope to have a deal reached before they adjourn for the holiday recess on December 22nd. .This week, the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees released their highly anticipated annual reports on the financial status of the two programs. One congressional subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the findings, and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw .