News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending March 25 2016

    New Medicare enrollees, higher -income beneficiaries, people age 65 and older who have not started Social Security benefits (about 11% of beneficiaries).[5] .Most Americans contribute 6.2 percent of every paycheck to Social Security, but due to the taxable maximum wage cap, people earning more than 8,500 pay nothing over that amount. Do you support increasing or eliminating the taxable maximum wage limit to make the program more solvent? .Over the years, there have been many bills, some with large numbers of co-sponsors, to fix the Notch. Most of the proposed legislative "fixes" provided improved monthly benefits. "Notch Reform" bills encountered strenuous opposition. Objections centered on the lifetime cost of providing those benefits. In 1992, one widely-supported piece of legislation was estimated to cost 0 billion (including interest lost to the Social Security Trust Fund) through the year 2020. In addition, it was argued that the cost would cause the Social Security Trust Fund to become insolvent even sooner than projected. … Continued

  • Congressional Corner Protecting Against A New Wave Of Senior Scams

    Regardless of what the court decides, TSCL believes that Congress needs to enact legislation that would prevent Social Security credits for unauthorized work done under illegal, stolen or invalid Social Security numbers. TSCL supports the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act (H.R. 1716), introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48). .For progress updates or for more information about these and other bills that would strengthen Social Security and Medicare programs, visit our website at .If signed into law, the Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to apply Social Security payroll taxes to earnings up to the contribution and benefit base and to all earnings in excess of 0,000. … Continued

This week, four new cosponsors signed on to Congressman John Garamendi's (CA-3) bipartisan Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act (H.R. 1251), which would base the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on a more fair and adequate inflation index if adopted. The new cosponsors are Congressmen Marc Veasey (TX-33), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (MP), Vincente Gonzalez (TX-15), and Andre Carson (IN-7). The cosponsor total for H.R. 1251 is now up to forty-three. .The TREA Senior Citizens League News Room is the online resource for reporters to learn more about our work on behalf of seniors. With 1.2 million members, TREA Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. If you require additional assistance or would like to request an interview, please contact us. .In 2016, under the Supplemental Poverty Measure 14.5% of adults age 65 and older lived in poverty, compared to 9.3% under the official poverty measure. .One paid family leave proposal discussed at Wednesday's hearing would negatively impact the future of the Social Security program if adopted. It would allow parents to claim up to 12 weeks of early Social Security benefits as a form of paid family leave following the birth or adoption of a child. To offset the cost, individuals would be required to delay the collection of their Social Security benefits in retirement. Those who take twelve weeks of paid family leave would see their full eligibility ages in retirement increase by as much as twenty-five weeks. .This unexpected policy adjustment is largely attributable to the 6 billion in cuts to Medicare that Obamacare calls for. More than one-fifth of the cuts – approximately 6 billion – are to the Medicare Advantage program, which insures more than one-quarter of all seniors over the age of sixty-five. It's important to note that the savings from the cuts are not going back into the Medicare Trust Fund; instead, the money is going to help pay for the health insurance of younger, working adults under Obamacare. .(Washington, DC) – Older Americans overwhelmingly support legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, according to a new survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The online survey, which had over 1,234 participants, found that 88 percent support tying prescription drug prices to what other industrialized countries, such as Great Britain, Canada and Japan, pay for the same drug. .I am writing for assistance in applying for the Notch Settlement on behalf of my widowed mother who has been a supporter of this cause for several years. .Depending on your income, you may qualify for Medicare Extra Help, which can cover most or all of your prescription drug premium and out-of-pocket costs. Your SHIP counselor may also know of special programs in your state. . What does it mean when a Member of Congress says he favors changing Medicare from a "fee-for-service" model to one where the patients would pay based on health outcomes? Is he suggesting that Medicare should stop covering treatments if the patient can't or doesn't improve?