TSCL is working for the re-introduction of the Notch Fairness Act. This. Benefit Bulletin: August 2012 TSCL Chairman Larry Hyland Congratulates Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-7) .The most widely-discussed proposals to revamp Social Security include raising the eligibility age, making the benefit formula less generous, and reducing the Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Reducing COLAs would impact the lifetime Social Security benefits of all current beneficiaries, as well as affecting future retirees. Under discussion is a proposal that would reduce COLAs by switching to a more slowly-growing, "chained" consumer price index to calculate the annual benefit boost. In fact the new tax law, recently did something similar. Indexing of income tax brackets, the standard deduction, and other parameters of the tax code for inflation was tied to a chained COLA. That means that people will pay higher taxes over time, as the standard deduction becomes less generous, while rising income would tend to push older taxpayers into higher brackets. .Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, has said the government has some intellectual property rights. Moderna seems to dispute that view, saying it is "not aware of any I.P. that would prevent us from commercializing" a COVID-19 vaccine. .Find out the full cost of your new drug and whether your drug plan covers it, every year. Case in point: Using the Medicare Drug Plan finder I learned that my client's new brand name prescription cost more than a month for a 30-day supply, and her drug plan did not cover it. Because she was lucky enough to be in the middle of the fall Part D Open Enrollment period, however, my client was able to save ,080 in uncovered out-of-pocket drug costs in 2011 by switching drug plans. She was able to enroll in a plan that provided better coverage and reduced her drug cost to a co-pay. Once you determine that a new prescription is your best option, check your drug plan coverage and what you will pay for it — and do this every year. If the drug is expensive, and if your drug plan doesn't cover it, or drops coverage, you may want to go back to your doctor to see whether there is a less costly prescription that you can try. You can check the coverage and full cost of the drug using the Medicare drug plan finder at www.medicare.gov. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. David Loebsack (IA-2) – signed on to the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (H.R. 2305). The total is now up to sixty-two. If signed into law, the PRIME Act would take a number of steps to comprehensively prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within the two programs – a problem that TSCL believes must be addressed in order to ensure that scarce program dollars are being spent properly. .Sources: "Complementary And Alternative Medicine Products And Their Regulation By The Food And Drug Administration," FDA, December 200"Complimentary And Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States 2002," CDC, May 27, 2004. .A report conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation claims that this year's budget will force House member offices to trim an additional 90,000 dollars in each office. A reduction to staff positions could mean decreased constituent services as responsibilities are shifted. .Recently one of our readers asked "Is there a percentage as to how much less NOTCH BABIES receive monthly?" Although not many studies exist, according to one study of average earners born from 1917 through 1926, the disparity in benefits with other retirees seems to average about 26%. .Medicare recently announced that a big change is coming to Medicare cards. To prevent identity theft and to help protect the program from fraud, Medicare will be dropping Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and issuing new cards starting next year.