News

  • 2016 Annual Survey Senior Costs

    Last year President Trump proposed lowering the prices of certain Medicare drug prices by tying those prices to lower prices paid in other developed countries. Under that proposal, prices would have been lower than they are now, but would still be a certain percentage higher than they are in other countries. The President was not satisfied with that idea, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. On Wednesday Azar said the President wants the proposal changed so that prices in the United States are even lower than they are in other countries. .Analysts say that deeper Medicare cuts may be back on the table by the end of the year. One of the most controversial proposals would convert Medicare into a system called "premium support." Under the proposal, the government would allocate a fixed amount of money for Medicare beneficiaries' premiums; and people would then purchase coverage from private health plans that would provide all their care. .2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine … Continued

  • Congressional Corner By Representative Charles Gonzalez 20th Tx

    SSA Implements New Security Policy .Instead, locality pay increases are intended to keep the salaries of current federal workers competitive with private sector jobs in the same locality pay area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures non-federal compensation in a particular market and compares it to federal pay for federal employees who perform similar work in the same region. The gap between the two helps determine the locality pay adjustment for a specific area in a given year. .Rep. Gene Green (TX-29) recently introduced a bill that would remove the limit for the amount of outside income that an individual could earn while receiving Social Security benefits. The Social Security Earnings Test Repeal Act of 2011 was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. … Continued

Over the past five years, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has reached an all-time low, averaging just 1.5 percent. Seniors, however, have reported that their living expenses are higher than ever. In fact, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) has found that seniors have lost almost one-third of their purchasing power since 2000, and their expenses have increased more than twice as fast as the annual COLA. Today, it is more clear than ever that the Social Security COLA is failing to help seniors keep up. .It's do or die time for Congress. Unless they can pass a federal government funding bill in the next 10 days the government will shut down on October And those 10 days are not all working days unless they decide to work through next weekend. .As with the start of any new Congress, TSCL is encouraging Senators and Representatives to reintroduce and cosponsor key legislation for seniors, like the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, the Strengthening Social Security Act, the Notch Fairness Act, and the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act. In addition, with comprehensive Medicare and Social Security reform on the minds of many deficit hawks, TSCL is working diligently to prevent harmful cuts that would affect your benefits. .Continuing Resolution Debate Grows Complex .Should Congress approve the ,000 Lump-Sum Settlement, you would continue to receive your monthly Social Security benefit without any adjustment. However, as the legislation is written, you will have a choice of annual additional lump-sum payments OR an increased monthly check. .The House passed H.R. 1868 by a vote of 246-175 on March 19, with 29 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. ."People should watch for mail from their drug or health plans explaining cost changes for 2018," Johnson says. You can compare plans and make changes during the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which runs October 15th through December 7th. You can get free one-on-one counseling from your state Health Insurance counselors (SHIP) by contacting your local Area on Aging, or senior centers. Ask for help comparing Medicare drug plans. .Generally, you pay higher premiums for plans that have no deductibles. All too often, though, Medicare consumers pay premiums that far exceed the cost of the deductible because they don't do the math. Having a plan that pays the Part A (hospital) deductible of 2 makes sense, because just one trip to the hospital could take your entire month's Social Security benefit. .Unless something totally extraordinary happens, the President is expected to sign the bill prior to midnight on the 28th and at long last the federal government will be fully funded through the remainder of fiscal year 2021 and much needed economic stimulus and rescue money will be sent to taxpayers and businesses alike.