The Social Security Administration recently called a halt to a controversial effort to collect debts that were more than 10 years old. For the past three years the government has confiscated tax refunds of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, claiming an overpayment of Social Security benefits, even though it had little or no proof, and few exact details, according to media reports. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Senator Charles E. Grassley (IA) said that government agencies were apparently "not properly notifying individuals or allowing them to inspect records of the debt they supposedly owe, which are violations of the law." .This week, lawmakers passed a temporary spending bill just hours before a government shutdown was set to occur. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) announced its support for one new bill, and one piece of legislation gained critical new support. .To get information about Medicare supplement premiums, first select the plan offering the coverage you are interested in, "A" through "N". You can find a listing of these plans on page 82 of the 2017 Medicare & You handbook but not all states will have all plans. Once you have chosen the plan then you can simply compare premiums between insurers. The coverage for each type of plan is just the same, but premiums between various insurers can vary tremendously. .Now, another warning has been issued that some sanitizers made in both the U.S. and China contain benzene, a chemical known to cause blood cancers such as leukemias. .TSCL supports H.R. 4012 enthusiastically, and we were pleased to see two new cosponsors sign on to it this week. We will be advocating for the passage of H.R. 4012 and S. 2251 – Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (MA) companion bill – tirelessly in the coming months because we know that a 3.9 percent COLA would provide much-needed relief to our members and supporters next year. .First, one new cosponsor – Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-7) – signed on to the Competitive DRUGS Act (H.R. 4117), bringing the total up to thirty-seven. If adopted, this bill would prohibit brand name pharmaceutical companies from paying generic drug companies to delay the introduction of their products to the market. Banning these anti-competitive "pay for delay" deals would lead to lower prescription drug prices for older Americans and other consumers. .House Committee Advances IPAB Repeal .However, there is and has been an alternative. A bipartisan Senate bill backed by Trump stopped short of giving Medicare bargaining power but would have limited annual price increases and capped costs for older people. The bill passed out of a Senate committee but was never brought to the full body, again because Majority Leader McConnell has refused to do so. .Insurers make major changes in their plans every year, like increasing premiums, co-pays, dropping coverage and even closing plans altogether. But according to a survey conducted by TSCL earlier this year, less than 18 percent of respondents said they switched their Part D or Medicare Advantage health plan for 201Medicare's annual Open Enrollment period starts earlier this year -- on October 15th -- and ends December 7th. Medicare beneficiaries should start the process now to find out what their choices are and how much they could save with a new Part D or Medicare Advantage plan.