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  • Deficit Gets Worse Social Security Cuts Get Attention

    In his opening statement, HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (TN) said: "Our focus today is on what happens to the cost of the drug after it is approved by the FDA. We will examine the path an approved drug takes from the manufacturer to patient, and how this path affects what the patient pays … This is a discussion that affects the well-being of every American family. It is important that we work together to conduct this fact finding in a bipartisan way." .Sources: "The Out-of-Pocket Cost Burden For Specialty Drugs in Medicare Part D in 2019," Juliette Cubanski, Wyatt Koma, Tricia Neuman, Kaiser Family Foundation, January 201https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/the-out-of-pocket-cost-burden-for-specialty-drugs-in-medicare-part-d-in-2019/ "How Trump's Latest Plan to Cut Drug Prices Will Affect You," Katie Thomas and Reed Abelson, The New York Times, February 5, 2019/ .One further reason for the growth is undoubtedly the growth in the primary beneficiary rolls, upon which the benefits of ANP dependents and survivors are based. According to the Inspector General, older non-citizens workers are now at the age and have worked in this country long enough to be potentially eligible to file claims for retirement or disability. The Inspector General has also said that those who worked using invalid, or non-work Social Security numbers issued prior to January 1, 2004, did not need valid work authorization in order to file a claim. Under current law the Social Security Administration uses all earnings, including those for illegal work, to determine entitlement to benefits. … Continued

  • Category Issues Cola Bills

    Those born during the Notch period "saved Social Security" by receiving lower benefits for the rest of their lives. They are the generation that fought and sacrificed during World War II. Now, although they receive lower benefits, they are among the senior age group hit hardest by escalating health care insurance premiums and prescription drug costs. .Susan has rheumatoid arthritis and was taking Humira, a drug that would cost more than ,000 out-of-pocket if she had to purchase it through a Part D plan. Prior to starting Medicare, she paid a .00 per month co-pay for Humira through her husband's insurance. Before starting on Medicare though, Susan decided to try a less expensive older generic, Methotrexate, which costs just .00 per month through her Part D plan. .In the meantime, TSCL is advocating on Capitol Hill for legislation that would provide immediate assistance to those who fall into the coverage gap. Older Americans living on fixed incomes cannot wait until 2020 for coinsurance in the doughnut hole to drop to 25%. We enthusiastically support the Prescription Drug Affordability Act (S. 2023, H.R. 3513), a bill that would drop the coinsurance to 25% by 2017, three years earlier than current law would. In the months ahead, we will continue to work with its sponsors in the House and Senate to build support for it, and we hope to see it passed into law by the end of this year. … Continued

SSA Implements New Security Policy .Medicare Part B enrollees who don't receive Social Security benefits. This includes people who have delayed the start of Social Security benefits, and all people who are billed for Medicare. According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2013, about half of all people on Medicare who don't yet receive Social Security had incomes below ,000. .The Senior Citizens League agrees that the Social Security 2100 Act is a fair and responsible solution to the financing challenges facing the program, and we are proud to have endorsed the it. In the months ahead, we will advocate for its passage tirelessly, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of this year. .Economic recession isn't entirely to blame for low inflation. For more than three decades the federal government has made a substantial number of changes to the methodology it uses to calculate the consumer price index, which is used to determine the COLA. "Virtually all the changes have tended to reduce the measured rate of inflation," Cates says. "Not surprisingly, many COLA recipients sometimes tell us they suspect the government is manipulating the inflation measure to cut spending on their benefits," he adds. .The following chart illustrates 5 examples: .The plan was blocked in lower courts after the state of Texas and 25 other states sued, saying that Obama had exceeded his authority. TSCL filed a "friend of the court" brief, in support of Texas and the other states, arguing concerns about costs to Social Security and Medicare. .You can learn more about Social Security disability benefits at https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/. Find information about when to start retirement benefits here: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/learn.html h3. .Sources: Hearing on Combating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration, January 24, 201"Levin, Conrad Introduce CUT Tax Loopholes Act," Senator Carl Levin, February 7, 2012. .The 2% COLA will raise the average Social Security benefit (currently ,258) about But the overwhelming majority of Social Security recipients will never see it. Medicare Part B premiums for most people will rise considerably and completely offset the COLA increase, after being held at lower adjusted levels, as required by law, over the past two years when there was no COLA. This provision of law that protects Social Security benefits from reductions is known as the "hold harmless" provision.