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  • H R 3090 Elder Protection And Abuse Prevention Act

    Senate Committee Discusses Drug Costs .This week, TSCL announced its support for legislation that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46) recently re-introduced: the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act (H.R. 2745). Each year, millions of unauthorized workers use invalid, stolen, or fraudulent Social Security numbers to get jobs in the United States. Later, if they receive "green cards" or work authorization, they may file a claim for Social Security benefits based on those illegal earnings. TSCL feels that Congress should put an end to this practice in order to protect the integrity of the Social Security program and to prevent further strains on the Trust Fund. Rep. Rohrabacher's bill – which was introduced with twenty cosponsors last week – would do just that, and we look forward to working with him throughout the 113th Congress to help build support for it. .Other members, including Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), backed proposals that would lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. The cap currently sits at 8,500, which means that no earnings above that amount are subject to the 6.2 percent payroll tax. Senator Sanders said on Wednesday, "That is patently unfair. If we apply the Social Security payroll tax to income above 0,000, we could immediately bring in enough revenue to the Social Security trust fund to extend it for decades and also be able to increase benefits." … Continued

  • Why The Social Security Disability Insurance Program Is Going Broke

    That's why I'm excited and proud to announce TSCL's endorsement of The Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act (H.R. 3389) introduced in the House by Representative Eliot Engel (NY-16) and its companion bill in the Senate (S. 1923) introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI). TSCL believes this bill will go a long way toward stopping the erosion in the buying power of your Social Security benefits. Now it's your turn. You can help draw attention to this legislation by contacting your Members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor The Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act. For contact info or to send an email to your elected lawmakers visit the TSCL at . .Pfizer and Moderna also are studying the effect of their vaccines on asymptomatic infections. .The other two actions are related to eviction protections and student loan relief. … Continued

Education and Communication (college tuition, postage, telephone services, computer software and accessories); .Lawmakers returned to their home states and districts this week to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Members of the Senate returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday, while Members of the House are expected to return on Sunday, just one day before the Fiscal Cliff is scheduled to hit. .Mary Katherine was 90 when a stroke left her paralyzed on one side of her body and unable to speak. It was 1996 and at the time Medicare had a cap on physical and speech therapy services, which only allowed for a limited number of therapy sessions to help Mary Katherine regain the ability to walk, feed herself, and speak. The paltry coverage of therapy sessions from Medicare did not provide Mary Katherine with enough time or therapy to make much of an improvement in her physical health. Mary Katherine, who received a Social Security benefit of less than 0, couldn't afford more therapy and never recovered her speech. She remained paralyzed for the rest of her life, which she spent as a Medicaid patient in a nursing home. .Nations all over the world are experiencing unprecedented disruptions to the drug supply chain, and that affects the U.S. drug supply. You may be interested in this article which explains the problem:https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/us-drug-shortage-fears-grow-as-india-locks-down-due-to-the-coronavirus.html. .Last week we told you that President Trump issued four executive orders concerning prescription drug prices. We explained that we at TSCL are taking a "wait and see" approach because of concerns about the orders and the limitations that are involved with them. ."That combination elevates the risk of disruptions to care, and unexpected, uncovered costs — two problems that could plague seniors shifted to new managed-care plans," Hyland says. Most states are expected to "passively enroll" beneficiaries into the plans requiring beneficiaries to take the initiative to opt out. "It is too early to know what type of choices those wishing to opt out will have," Hyland notes. "Without a strong notification and education process, many of the affected dual eligibles may not be aware, or understand, that they have new health coverage, " he says. "A new health plan can mean a change of doctor if their former providers don't participate," Hyland explains. .While retirees won't be getting as much of an increase in their Social Security checks in 2020, the Part B premium, is expected to go up considerably more than it did this year. In 2019, most beneficiaries paid .50 per month more than in 201In 2020, however, the Medicare Trustees have forecast that Part B premiums will increase from 5.50 to 4.30 per month — .80 per month more—an increase of 6.5%. That's four times faster than the COLA. .Medicare is currently prohibited from covering most hearing, vision, and dental services, even though millions of seniors are afflicted with age-related hearing loss, low vision, and poor oral health. When left untreated, these conditions often result in serious injuries and complications. What do you feel should be done about this? .Where this leaves the President's policy at this point is not clear, but it is highly unlikely the program will be able to move forward while Trump is still in office. Whether President Biden will withdraw the plan or seek to modify it through negotiations with Canada remains to be seen.