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    The COLA also doesn't reflect cost increases in Medicare premiums and other rapidly growing Medicare costs. Research for The Senior Citizens League has found that Medicare Part B premiums are one of the fastest growing costs in retirement. Medicare Part B premiums, which are automatically deducted from Social Security checks, often consume most, or even all, of the COLA increase. .In a press release, Mary Johnson – a policy analyst for TSCL – recently said: "Anyone who cares about his or her health coverage, Medicaid, or Medicare should contact their Members of Congress now." Since many in Congress are undecided on the AHCA, it is not too late for grassroots advocates to make an impact. TSCL encourages its members and supporters to call their representatives in Congress immediately to request their opposition to the AHCA. Contact information can be found HERE. .Since 1980, the BLS has manipulated the CPI several times so that it no longer measures price inflation. Rather, it measures an ever-changing "market basket" of goods that is adjusted as prices drop and increase. It assumes that shoppers will purchase chicken when steak becomes too expensive, or apples instead of oranges when their prices drop. This has resulted in a more slowly growing COLA for Social Security beneficiaries. Instead of allowing seniors to keep up with rising costs, today's COLA requires them to constantly adjust to lower standards of living. … Continued

  • Congressional Corner Seniors Deserve Dignity Security Im Fighting Congress

    The study found that people who are retiring now, or who are approaching retirement, are facing a significant loss in lifetime Social Security benefits. Although the amounts vary by earnings, and years worked, in some cases today's average-earning retirees could stand to lose nearly ,000 over a 20-year retirement. .Changes in your earnings: Did you report increases in salary or commissions? You need to keep Social Security informed of higher earnings in order for your benefits to be accurately withheld. .But that's not all Congress must do before October The Secretary of the Treasury has warned that if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling very soon the government will default on its bills sometime in October. The "full faith and credit" of the U.S. government is at stake here and the repercussions of a government default are not totally known but they could be disastrous. … Continued

TSCL's Board of Trustees on Capitol Hill ."Someone who presents with COVID-19 symptoms several days after arriving at their destination could have been infected at home before arriving at the airport, whilst at the airport or on the flight — or even on arrival at their destination airport — because everyone has a variable incubation period for COVID-19," Tang said. .Now, allergy season has arrived and in the United States as many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of kids have seasonal allergies. .The basic science that has allowed the small company to move so rapidly was developed with a huge prior infusion of federal money to come up with a treatment for diseases like Zika. .Let's consider what the I.O.U.s held by Social Security represent. The I.O.U.s are bookkeeping entries, a lot like entries in checking accounts, but are not represented by real cash sitting in a strong box anywhere. The U.S Treasury collects Social Security payroll taxes from employers. In turn, the U.S. Treasury issues I.O.U.s to the Social Security trust fund. In the meantime, those payroll taxes are immediately used for other federal budget operations. When more payroll taxes were collected than needed to pay benefits, that reduced the amount of borrowing from the public that was needed for the general revenues, and lowered taxes. Now, however, the situation has reversed, and the Treasury must increase borrowing from the public to redeem the I.O.U.s held by the trust fund in order to pay benefits. Increased borrowing, and the cost of interest on the debt, further drives up our federal spending. According to many economists, that can weaken our economy, and our nation's ability to respond to a crisis. .The conclusions of this study were echoed by a different study published in the medical journal Neurology. .TSCL surveys have found that the overwhelming majority of seniors feel Social Security benefits should not be based on illegal work, regardless of whether taxes were withheld. With major changes looming for Social Security, TSCL supports legislation that would ban the payment of benefits based on illegal work — H.R. 787, "No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act," introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), and S.95, legislation to prevent Social Security credit from being earned without legal status introduced by Senator David Vitter (LA). .On Wednesday, the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing focusing on a number of Medicare provider payment provisions that are set to expire at the end of this year. The Subcommittee heard from an expert panel of witnesses, which included Richard Umbdenstock, President of the American Hospital Association, and Robert Wah, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the American Medical Association. .Mail order can also help you save if your drug plan is increasing co-pays or drug costs, dropping coverage or making similar changes for 201Orders placed by December 31, 2011 will be filled by your 2011 drug plan mail order pharmacy, and covered at the costs when you place your order your prescription in December.