News

  • Benefit Bulletin March 2014

    The aggressive collection efforts resulted from a one-line change tucked into the 2008 Farm Bill lifting the statute of limitations. The U.S. Treasury seized a reported .9 billion in tax refunds this year alone — million of that was for debts more than 10 years old. The Social Security Administration says that 400,000 taxpayers collectively owe 4 million in debts that are more than 10 years old. .TSCL opposes these cuts for a number of reasons. Medical practices in particular have been hurt by the pandemic and should not have to face lower Medicare reimbursements. .We may not all agree on ways to reform the system, but at the very least it is time for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to wake up and admit that we can't continue to defend the status quo. These new reports from the Medicare trustees make that much perfectly clear. … Continued

  • Issues Medicare Means Testing Track Bills

    Jodey Arrington represents Texas' 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. .Here are a few secrets about Part D coverage that keep you stuck in your plan and overpaying for prescriptions: .This legislation would require the Federal Trade Commission to update its website to include a searchable database of scams targeting seniors. It would have to work with media outlets and law enforcement to distribute the information. The FTC also would be required to send Congress a report with policy recommendations to prevent scams targeting older individuals, especially during national emergencies. … Continued

Now there is a lobbying effort to make sure enough money is provided for those programs because without sufficient funding states could choose not to take the money and leave their Medicaid programs running as is. .Until then, many Members of Congress will attend local events and hold town hall meetings. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) urges its members and supporters to attend town halls in the coming weeks, since they are an excellent opportunity for constituents to communicate with their elected officials and have their most pressing concerns addressed. .Mexican consulate officials are informing people about the availability of such benefits.Survivor claims are increasing due to recent violence in Mexico. .Only a little more than half of the nation's nursing homes had received inspections, according to data released earlier this month, which prompted Medicare and Medicaid chief Seema Verma to direct that states complete the checks by July 31 or risk losing federal recovery funds. .Social Security and Medicare Public Trustees Recommend Raising Eligibility Age and Benefit Formula Changes .The TSCL legislative team continues to work diligently to promote the issues affecting our members. While much of this week's success was focused on current bills, our team also strives to stay on top of forth-coming legislation yet to be formally introduced. The work of our committed legislative team enables TSCL to keep capable eyes and ears on Congress' inner-workings to better represent the concerns of our valued members. .Sources: "The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2016," U.S. Census Bureau, September 201"How Many Seniors Are Living in Poverty? National and State Estimates Under the Official and Supplement Poverty Measures in 2016," Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2, 2018. .This week, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) announced its support for new legislation that would improve the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). .While felony fugitives are prohibited from receiving SSI payments, there is no such prohibition on benefits from Social Security`s main program, which pays retirement, survivors, and disability benefits. Auditors have asked Congress to bar fugitives from receiving payment from Social Security`s other programs as well. Congress is `studying` the recommendation.