News

  • Legislative Update Week Ending April 27 2018

    Paula chose to take the employer-provided Medicare supplement, dental and vision coverage at 6 per month, but "opted out" of the expensive Part D. Instead we found more reasonably priced drug coverage at .90 per month, and covering the prescriptions she currently took with no deductible, using the Medicare Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov. .Medicare supplemental or Medigap policies tend to charge higher premiums, but cover most or all of the co-insurance costs for brief hospitalizations or doctor visits and other Medicare covered services. Medicare Advantage plans generally work in just the opposite fashion. Currently premiums are very low, but there could be considerable out-of-pocket co-payment costs should you require health care services. .The Potential Cost to Social Security Trust Fund Is Growing At An Unprecedented Pace … Continued

  • Legislative Update March 2014

    Help! I'm turning 65 soon. My daughter says I should sign up for Medicare, but I don't know what to do or where to begin. I work for a small company with 17 employees, where I get my health insurance now. About a week is currently taken out of my paycheck for premiums. My current health coverage isn't that good. It has a ,500 deductible and, because I'm still in good health, I've never been able to benefit. .Unfortunately, the Senate disagreed among themselves about what to do and they were unable to craft a bill that could pass the Senate. .TSCL is hopeful that President Trump will lend his support to the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, since we believe it would go a long way in reducing the costs of lifesaving medications for beneficiaries. We will continue to advocate for it on Capitol Hill, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of the 115th Congress. For more information, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. … Continued

Abrupt legislative cuts erode the trust that Congress needs for making far bigger changes in the future. TSCL urges you to engage candidates in conversations about Social Security and Medicare. Let's ask them what their plans are for fixing Social Security and Medicare and what changes they propose that would affect your benefits. .The most important thing people nearing retirement should consider doing is to delay starting benefits until age 70, the report says. After reaching full retirement age, benefits will grow 8 percent per year after for each year delayed, until age 70. "The higher your benefit and COLA, the easier it will be to cover Medicare Part B and other healthcare costs in retirement," Johnson says. .In the latest issue of Best Ways to Save, retirees, and those nearing retirement learn: .The average retired worker receives just ,500 year in Social Security benefits. .This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for three key bills that would strengthen and protect the Social Security and Medicare programs. .President Obama Releases 2015 Budget .TSCL supports H.R. 973 and H.R. 1391 since both would modernize the Social Security program in a responsible way. We were pleased to see them gain critical support this week. .The decision on when to start benefits is not a simple one. If you have some retirement savings, or equity in a home, it may be to your advantage to delay starting benefits and to use other resources for a few months while you look for other work. Your local senior center, or colleges or public libraries may also have programs provided by retirement and financial professionals that can help provide you with guidance. To learn more, download this publication from the Social Security Administration: How Work Affects Your Benefits. .A new online survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) finds that older Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to take action to lower the cost of prescription drugs by reducing Medicare Part D's out-of-pocket spending requirements. Fifty-six percent of participants in the survey indicate that they spend more than 2 a year on prescription drugs. About one-out-of-five retirees spends more than 0 per month on prescription medications.