It is not clear what implications, if any, the findings might have for the two other major vaccines being used in the U.S., Pfizer's and Moderna's. .TSCL believes that the Delay until Fully Functional Act represents a fair solution to the technical problems that the HealthCare.gov website has been experiencing for the past month. Millions of Americans – including seniors under the age of sixty-five – have been unable to purchase insurance coverage through the new marketplace due to the technical glitches. According to the law, those who fail to enroll before March 31st will be faced with a tax penalty of either or 1 percent of income, whichever is higher. .The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently issued a cost estimate citing the Joint Committee on Taxation's estimates of the cost for Social Security of about 6 billion in reduced SS revenues between 2020 -2021, increased revenues from repayments of 9 billion between 2022-2023, and about billion in higher outlays which would be due to administrative and debt costs. The CBO assumes that some companies will go out of business and would be unable to repay deferred taxes — about billion in Social Security revenues. The CBO warned that uncertainties its estimate of the CARES Act are high, and that actual outcomes could vary significantly. .The legislative proposal also does not specify whether the locality pay adjustment would be applied in addition to the COLA or used instead of a COLA. If the intention is to add a second adjustment in addition to the COLA my guess is that many retirees would welcome the additional boost. Should the proposal be intended to replace the COLA that brings a higher level of uncertainty to the annual adjustments than we already experience. For people who live in areas where private sector pay is on an even level with federal pay or lower, those retirees may wind up with little or no locality pay adjustment, perhaps over the course of many years. .Two bills that would provide for coverage of dental services under the Medicare program were introduced in Congress last week. H.R.502, authored by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-Calif.) has been introduced in the House of Representatives, while S.97, authored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has been introduced in the Senate. .Social Security benefits are determined by the income earned (up to the taxable maximum) over a working career, and the number of years worked. The more money you make and pay taxes on, and the more years you work the larger your monthly Social Security benefit will be. The Social Security Administration calculates your benefits based on the 35 years in which you earned the most money. But many women, especially those who become mothers or caregivers, give up a substantial portion of their earnings to care for a family. .TSCL strongly supports legislation that would provide a minimum COLA in years when inflation is below average — such as the Guaranteed 3% COLA Act (H.R. 991) sponsored by Representative Eliot Engel (NY-16). How are low COLAs and higher costs affecting you? Let your Members of Congress know! Call 1-844-455-0045. .Today's working women, even those who worked in the same positions as men, tend to earn less during their working careers. The Economic Policy Institute reports that to every dollar a man makes, women of Asian descent earn 88 cents, Caucasian women make 81 cents, African American women make 65 cents, and Hispanic women make 59 cents. This only worsens the low lifetime earnings problem. .To see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings during the spring recess, click HERE or call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE.