Shopping for housing after an emergency. Your retirement housing is one of the most important investments you will ever make. It's important to start your search of retirement living options while you or the family member you are helping can optimally participate. Be realistic about care needs. Often families discover that a facility does not offer the level of services that may later be required and need to move again. .Just as today, in 1977 the federal budget was in deficit, and Social Security was facing a funding crisis. The new benefit formula changes first affected seniors who turned 62 in 1979 just two years later. Seniors born from 1917 through 1926 wound up receiving lower benefits than other retirees with almost identical work and earnings records. Although reductions of about 10 percent for average earners were expected at the time of the changes, Notch babies were often affected by disparities of 20 percent or more, because a phase-in benefit formula failed. .Medicare Therapy Caps: A Long Battle for Patient Access .But not all beneficiaries will come out ahead. Some treatments have little or no competition, and patients needing those drugs might not see any extra savings. And for people who don't take pricey drugs, monthly Part D costs are likely to rise because premiums are expected to go up when insurers won't be able to keep rebates to improve bottom lines. .Support for Notch Reform legislation has grown significantly, nearly doubling over the previous six Congressional sessions in which it's been introduced. TSCL is encouraging seniors and their younger family members like you to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor and pass "The Notch Fairness Act, " H.R. 1001 and S. 118! .Last month, the Social Security Trustees released their annual report on the program's financial outlook, and they projected that Social Security beneficiaries will face a cut in benefits if lawmakers fail to pass legislation to extend the program's solvency past 203In order for reforms to be phased in gradually and with minimal impact on current or future retirees, Congress will need to adopt comprehensive Social Security reform legislation in the very near future. .The COLA will be announced on October 19th, and Medicare premiums and deductibles also will be announced in the fall. Seniors who are already retired and those nearing retirement have few options if the benefits they rely on today were to be cut. TSCL is fighting such proposals affecting the benefits of current retirees, believing that seniors need a COLA that more adequately protects the buying power of Social Security, and TSCL supports H.R. 776, the Guaranteed 3% COLA Act, introduced by Representative Eliot Engel (NY-17). .The tax credit, a provision of the 2009 stimulus legislation, was advanced to taxpayers in 2009 and 2010 through higher pay and pension checks by a decrease in federal income tax withholdings. Most eligible people qualified for a credit of up to 0 (individual) or 0 (joint). But millions of taxpayers through no fault of their own were advanced more of the Making Work Pay Tax Credit than they were entitled to. .This week, one House Subcommittee approved a draft Medicare physician payment reform bill. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) announced its support for legislation introduced by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), and four key bills gained new cosponsors.