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  • Legislative Update Week Ending June 8 2018

    The process involves more than just an application. If you qualify you would also need to select a drug plan. You can apply for Extra Help anytime. Visit socialsecurity.gov/i1020 to apply online. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. .Don't delay. To learn more, find a local Social Security office or to apply online, visit the Social Security website at SocialSecurity.gov or call the Social Security Administration toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 .The Social Security COLA is calculated using the consumer price index. There are several of them, and the government uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Workers (CPI-W) to calculate the annual boost. That index, though, doesn't measure how people 62 and older spend their money. It measures how younger working adults do. Seniors, however, have different spending patterns, and have to spend a growing share of their budget on healthcare, which in most years outpaces overall inflation. … Continued

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    Low-income seniors and disabled adults who qualify for benefits under both Medicare and Medicaid frequently have multiple chronic health problems, and more than half have cognitive or mental impairments. More than half of dual eligibles also have annual incomes of less than ,000, and are more likely to receive nursing .Recently Congressional Budget Office estimated in its September budget outlook, that Medicare outlays for 2020 would rise about 12 percent — roughly double the rate forecast by the Medicare Trustees in their April 2020 report. This suggests that the Medicare Part B premium increase for 2021 could be about .40 per month higher in 2021, rising from 4.60 to 2.00. But even this estimate does not include the full impact of cost shifting that occurs when people with low Social Security benefits are protected from reductions due to high Medicare Part B premium increases. Thus, the base monthly Part B premium increase for 2020 could be even higher than .40, and closer to the spike seen in 2016. .Also last year, I introduced the Medicare Advantage Coverage Transparency Act which was ultimately passed with unanimous support and then signed into law by President Obama. Decision-making in Washington should be based on transparency. A truly representative legislature should foster a culture of openness, which is why this law now requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer Congress expanded information on Medicare Advantage enrollment each year based on zip code, congressional district, and state. The purpose of this additional data is to provide greater information to the public, to policymakers, and to the health care community so they may have the most up-to-date information when making decisions. … Continued

Congressional support for a bi-partisan deficit reduction solution before the November 21st deadline is dwindling as each day passes. Republican co-chairman of the joint committee, Rep. Jen Hensarling (TX-5), expressed discontent with Democratic colleagues this week for rejecting the latest GOP offer. "I will give my Democratic colleagues credit for at least putting some reforms on the table, but frankly they do not solve the problem," Hensarling said. .In recent years, inflation and COLAs have been virtually flat, averaging just 1.1% per year since 2010 — with no COLA at all in 2016 and just a 0.3% COLA in 201Slow growth in Social Security benefits, particularly when it continues over a period as long as 8 years, has a very significant impact on the overall amount of lifetime income that retirees can expect from Social Security. When retiree costs climb while benefits remain flat, people wind up having to dig more deeply into retirement savings (if they have any), spending more quickly than anticipated. Many people without other pensions or savings are forced into debt. About one in four low-income older Americans is dependent on programs that provide assistance with essentials like food and healthcare costs. .Part B — Seniors with incomes of less than ,000 a year pay a base monthly premium of 5.40, in 2011, which would be automatically deducted from your Social Security benefit. Since 2000, Part B premiums have increased about 154%. .The latest report from the Congressional Budget Office says that after passage of recent massive tax and budget legislation, over the next decade the federal deficit is now expected to be .7 trillion higher than estimated in June of 201"To put that in context, that's close to the total amount of money that the federal government would need to cover the reserves held by the Social Security Trust Fund over the next 13 years," Johnson points out. .Background Information: Social Security beneficiaries received another record-low cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of just 0.3% this year. But if the COLA were based on a more accurate measure of inflation for seniors like the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), they would be receiving an increase of 2.1% according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Question: Do you support legislation that would give older Americans a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA? .TSCL Endorses Social Security Administration Fairness Act .If you or someone you know is struggling to make their Social Security benefits stretch from one month to another, there are two Medicare programs that can help with medical costs for those eligible — Medicare Savings Programs which cover some Part B costs, and Medicare Extra Help which provides help with prescription costs. .Nineteen percent (19%) postponed filling one or more prescriptions due to price spikes caused by coronavirus shortages or supply chain disruptions. .For more information, or to see if your Members of Congress have scheduled town halls before the November elections, call their local offices.