News

  • Q July 2017

    Meanwhile, Republicans argued that Medicare should not be expanded when its hospital fund is already slated to be insolvent in 2026. .TSCL enthusiastically supports the bills mentioned above, and we look forward to helping build support for them in the coming months. .The "grandparent scam" has been around for a while, where a scammer poses as a relative, often a grandchild, in a desperate situation in urgent need of money. Due to the economic crisis created by the pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission has worked to raise the awareness of the grandparent scam. … Continued

  • 2015 2015 Annual Survey Senior Costs Study Methodology

    Two new pieces of legislation in addition to H.R.1565 (see above) have been introduced to stop these kinds of scams. .Originally, Members of Congress planned to quickly debate and approve the CR last week so that they could turn their focus towards the November 4th elections. However, President Obama made a last-minute request to authorize extra military funding for the training of rebels in Syria, and the discussion grew complicated. After much discussion behind closed doors, leaders in the House and Senate agreed to attach an amendment to the CR to provide the military with the necessary funds to complete the training mission. .The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) agrees that lawmakers must pass legislation soon to address the growing costs of prescription drugs for older Americans. Comprehensive legislation like the Prescription Drug Affordability Act (S. 2023, H.R. 3513) would go a long way in making life-saving medications more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries, and we will continue to advocate for it in the months ahead. In the meantime, we are hopeful that officials at CMS will move forward slowly and thoughtfully with the Part B demonstration program to avoid harsh impacts on beneficiaries. For updates on the progress of the demonstration program, follow TSCL on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website. … Continued

Deficit hawks on Capitol Hill agree that the current inflation index is inaccurate, but instead of adopting a method that actually measures seniors' spending, many have been advocating for an index that would further trim COLAs. The "chained" CPI has been lauded by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle – including President Obama – as a small technical correction that would factor in the substitution that occurs when the prices of certain goods increase. However, since medical care – a major expense for seniors – cannot be substituted for something cheaper, this index would unfairly affect them. After ten years, adopting the "chained" CPI would result in an monthly benefit cut for the average retired couple, and that loss would continue to compound. .In addition to drug manufacturers, major business groups and 32 conservative organizations to his actions and have been lobbying The President to change his mind. .Medicare part B was not paid for by increasing taxes but is paid for by borrowing money. So were the tax cuts that the President supported, and Congress passed in 2017. .Finally, one new cosponsor – Representative Mark Pocan (WI-2) – signed on to the CHANGE Act (H.R. 4957), bringing the total to twenty-one. If adopted, this bill would direct CMS to create programs that would promote early identification of Alzheimer's disease, improve support for family caregivers, and provide continuous care for those battling many forms of dementia. .The TSCL Board of Trustees and staff are all dedicated to helping seniors. The following services provided by TSCL are considered primary and essential to the betterment of the quality of life of our nation's senior citizens: .But that's not all Congress must do before October The Secretary of the Treasury has warned that if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling very soon the government will default on its bills sometime in October. The "full faith and credit" of the U.S. government is at stake here and the repercussions of a government default are not totally known but they could be disastrous. .House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced earlier this month that the House will soon take up surprise billing legislation. TSCL waits with anticipation on legislation to end surprise billing practices as it is something we support and want to see stopped at the hospital doors. ."Whatever the reason, most Americans before they retire have paid little attention to the huge life transition that is coming. We don't have a good idea of how much we need to save for retirement," writes Mark Miller, journalist and author who writes about trends in retirement and aging. Mark, the author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work and Living (John Wiley & Sons/Bloomberg Press, 2010) shares a few important tips with our readers. .With respect to security: When The Senior Citizens League transfers and receives certain types of sensitive information such as financial or health information, we redirect visitors to a secure server and will notify visitors through a pop-up screen on our site.