News

  • Q A November 2019

    According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), wages are growing faster for people who earn more than the Social Security taxable maximum than for people earning less. The CBO projects that this unequal growth in earnings will cause a decline in revenues received by the Social Security Trust Fund over the next decade. .TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 2305 and H.R. 3118, and we were pleased to see support grow for both of them this week. .The credit for qualifying children is fully refundable, which means that taxpayers can benefit from the credit even if they don't have earned income or don't owe any income taxes. … Continued

  • Social Security Announces 1 3 Cola For 2021 One Of Lowest Ever Paid

    Get unbiased counseling. NEVER, EVER drop your Medicare supplemental or switch Medicare Advantage plans based solely on the sales pitch of an insurance agent! This is especially true if the agent is trying to pitch you from a table set up in a discount store, or pharmacy window. DO NOT do business at all with anyone who calls on the phone or knocks on your door, regardless of who they say they are. There have been very widespread reports of con artists who tell seniors they are calling from Medicare or Social Security. You have no safe way of confirming who they are. Don't respond. Hang up and keep your doors locked! .One of TSCL's goals this year was to end "surprise billing" – the situation that happens when some types of medical providers, including anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, and labs may not be contracted with your health insurer even though they provide services at a hospital or facility that is in your health plan's provider network. So, in addition to your expected out-of-pocket costs, you also get a bill for the difference between what your insurer has agreed to pay that provider and the amount the provider billed for their services. .Starting a new medication can sometimes take you by surprise when drug plans don't cover the drug or charge higher co-pays than you can afford. If you're having trouble covering the cost of your medicine, here are some things to try: … Continued

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 . .Easier Said Than Done: Public Unconvinced That Medicaid Spending Should Be Cut .According to a report from Kaiser Health News, the skepticism is "Because whether it's sharing the credit for a legislative victory with the other party or running afoul of the powerful pharmaceutical lobby, neither Democrats nor Republicans are sure the benefits are worth the risks, according to several of those familiar with the debate on Capitol Hill. .Social Security Trust Fund is the biggest government account holding U.S. debt — and the U.S. Treasury owes the Trust Fund more than .8 trillion. .2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine .Some Seniors to Pay More for Drugs Under New Rule .TSCL Believes New Policy Would Add To Growing Social Security Woes .The Senate bill also would change Medicare Part D by adding an out-of-pocket maximum for beneficiaries of ,100 starting in 202No such out-of-pocket cost cap currently exists. According to our 2019 Senior Survey, about one-in-five survey participants report out-of-pocket spending this high for prescription drugs. Advisor editor Mary Johnson estimates that this legislation would protect almost 14 million Medicare beneficiaries from out-of-pocket drug costs exceeding ,100 in the first year of enactment if signed into law. .Their bill would address the administrative funding challenges that the Social Security Administration has been facing for several years. Since 2010, the Social Security Administration's budget has declined by 9 percent, resulting in a loss of 10,000 employees and the closure of more than 10 percent of all field offices nationwide. At the same time, the number of Social Security beneficiaries has increased dramatically by 15 percent since 2010.