News

  • Weekly Update For Week Ending August 30 2020

    With 1.2 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors' groups. Its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. The Senior Citizens League is a proud affiliate of The Retired Enlisted Association. Visit for more information. .Obamacare is not the first government program in which major implementation glitches had disastrous consequences for large numbers of beneficiaries. In 1977 changes that Congress made to the Social Security benefit formula created a major inequity in benefits that cost retirees tens of thousands of dollars in Social. Seventeen Co-sponsors for The Notch Fairness Act While Congress has been holding hearings and considering changes to Social Security, TSCL has been successful in gaining co-sponsors for The Notch Fairness Act. The bill, introduced in the House and Senate by Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-17) and Senator David Vitter (LA), would provide Notch Babies born from 1917 through 1926 their choice of ,000 paid. Risk of Deeper Benefit Cuts When Congress Waits The Notch Fairness Act In House And Senate .If signed into law, S. 960 would base Social Security cost-of-living adjustments on the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) and gradually phase out the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. … Continued

  • Prescription Drugs

    The issue of physician choice and access to care for Medicare recipients arises time and again as Congress has taken last minute action to prevent drastic cuts to physician reimbursements. Only repeated, last-minute actions have saved doctors from substantial pay cuts. Cutting reimbursements for doctors has surface appeal because it does not require seniors to pay additional dollars out-of-pocket. However, there is a hidden cost. Physicians who live under constant fear of substantial cuts may opt to stop serving Medicare patients, resulting in loss of access to care for many seniors. .Local Lion's Club. Local chapters may have programs to assist people with severe vision impairment, and some clubs run the Affordable Hearing Aid Project, which distributes three types of affordable hearing aids. To find contact details for your local chapter, visit: Lions Club Directory. .On Thursday, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction held their second public hearing, which focused on revenue options and reforming the tax code. The Committee heard testimony from Thomas Barthold, Chief of Staff of the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxations. … Continued

The 2100 Act, if signed into law, would increase Social Security benefits by 2 percent, cut taxes for over 11 million seniors, increase the minimum benefit to 125 percent of the poverty line, and make COLAs more fair and accurate. It would also take measures to increase the solvency of the trust fund beyond the next seventy-five years, through the year 2100. .Canada Bans Sending Drugs to U.S. .The new Antimicrobial Action Fund will look to buy or invest in small antibiotic companies and their products and will work with the World Health Organization and the European Investment Bank to identify promising prospects. The fund is expected to start operations by the end of the year and hopes to bring to market at least two to four novel antibiotics by 2030. .In your book The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security you say that today's retirees need to "rethink retirement." In what ways do our ideas about retirement need changing? .Members on both sides of the aisle seemed eager to tackle corporate tax reform, but there was a clear divide on the panel when it came to the Social Security payroll tax holiday. Co-chair Patty Murray (WA) and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (AZ) both seemed skeptical about President Obama's recent proposal to cut the payroll tax in half for both employees and employers next year. When asked whether short-term tax cuts typically succeed in stimulating the economy, Barthold responded "yes" without hesitation. However, he said that such short-term cuts for employers generally do not lead to job creation. .Proponents of cutting benefits argue that Social Security, as it is currently structured, is unstainable because there are fewer workers to support current retirees. Social Security is estimated to run short of funds in about 15 years. Without changes and soon, Social Security benefits would have to be reduced by about 22% to match the amount of revenues that the program receives. .Beneficiaries are telling other Mexicans about the Social Security benefits. .The Senior Citizens League is predicting another record-low Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2020 despite skyrocketing prescription drug prices and home heating costs. Will you cosponsor the Fair COLA for Seniors Act (H.R. 1553), which would make the COLA more adequate for Social Security beneficiaries? .Prescription Drug Costs