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  • S 122 Safe Affordable Drugs Canada Act

    On Monday, President Obama released his .8 trillion budget request for fiscal 2013, calling it "a blueprint for how we can rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded." While the proposal leaves Social Security as is, many Medicare beneficiaries – especially those considered "high earners" – would see major changes. .Funding concerns are one of the key reasons TSCL is relieved SSA has decided to remove the text requirement from the login process. Without online access, more seniors than ever would have been relying on their local Social Security offices, and under-staffed offices would surely have been overwhelmed with requests. .Passing a short-term funding bill to keep the government operating past September 30th is the last major hurdle lawmakers must tackle before the November elections. It remains to be seen whether or not they will successfully negotiate a CR before the quickly approaching deadline. In the days ahead, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) will keep a close eye on the talks since failing to pass a CR would likely impact Social Security beneficiaries and Medicare doctors negatively. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website. … Continued

  • Category Issues Cola Articles Page 9

    The 2017 COLA will likely be 0.3 percent says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst and researcher for TSCL. "And there's a chance that lower gas prices will drag the COLA down even further, to 0.2 percent," Johnson adds. Either way, the 2017 COLA is expected to raise Social Security benefits by only a few dollars, and any increase will be completely offset by stiff increases in the Medicare Part B premium for most people 65 and over. .The irony is that when Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) because Senate Majority Leader in 2015 he said the Senate must return to "regular order," which means getting its work done in an orderly fashion and on time. .This week, Members of Congress remained in their home states and districts for the week-long holiday recess. Meanwhile, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for two critical bills that would strengthen the Social Security program. … Continued

A growing volume of research is linking problems with eyes, ears, and teeth to health problems elsewhere in the body. Links have been found to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, respiratory illness, cancer, sleep apnea, dementia, and many other serious health conditions. Better care has been found to improve overall health in patients. Mary Johnson – a policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League – said this week, "Adding coverage may help both patients and Medicare save money on other costs." .However, experts say the actual cost of living for Social Security beneficiaries is rising and their quality of life is falling. Social Security recipients have lost nearly a fourth of their buying power over the last 15 years, according to the Senior Citizens League. .The implication that older Americans don't need their Social Security and Medicare benefits, and that seniors are demanding theirs at the expense of the young, is a nasty tactic that's not supported by the facts. According to the Social Security Administration, 50 percent of people age 65 and older have a total income of ,857 —hardly rolling in dough. Yet, those same seniors spend an average of 15 percent of their incomes on healthcare costs — a portion that is rapidly growing. .Reps. Peter Roskam (IL-6) and John Carney (DE) introduced H.R. 2305 on June 14, 201It has since been referred to the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. .Two Key Bills Gain Support .Source: "2019 Changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D," The National Council on Aging, accessed on October 4, 2018. .There will likely be court challenges to the President's actions, making it unclear how quickly any money would reach the unemployed. On top of that, it is unclear how many states will want to participate in this enhanced unemployment program or how many companies will want to suspend payroll taxes for employees only to have to pay them in 2021. .Social Security is by far and away the nation's most successful and popular insurance program. .To address this issue, my office put together a two-pronged approach both locally and nationally. First, we held a resources fair in South Los Angeles, focusing on identifying and combatting senior scams with service providers that offered direct assistance for attendees. Second, I introduced a bipartisan resolution to call attention to the barrage of fraud attempts that seniors face nationwide.