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  • Legislative Update For Week Ending April 1 2016

    Nineteen percent (19%) postponed filling one or more prescriptions due to price spikes caused by coronavirus shortages or supply chain disruptions. .This year's Trustees Reports show that both programs face modest financial challenges that can be addressed by Congress with minor changes. The Senior Citizens League supports the passage of legislation like the Social Security 2100 Act or the Social Security Expansion Act, both of which would strengthen the Social Security program's finances responsibly, without cutting benefits for current or future retirees. In addition, we hope Congress will pass legislation to bring down prescription drug costs in the Medicare program. Requiring Part D drug price negotiation would save billions of dollars for both the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries. .No. In fact whether he's aware of it or not, your brother-in-law may be involved in a Medicare fraud. If he's receiving payment, free goods or services in exchange for his Medicare number, that's considered a crime than can result in jail time. It's becoming more common, especially in Medicare fraud hot spots like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and the south Florida area where you live. … Continued

  • Best Ways Save December 2014

    In addition, the full retirement age — the age at which individuals qualify for full, unreduced Social Security benefits, is rising. Retiring prior to the full retirement age permanently reduces benefits by as much as 30 percent. The full retirement age, which is currently is 66, goes up by 2 months per year for people born after 1954 through 195It is 67 for those born in 1960 and thereafter. .The Social Security Trustees further estimate that .9 billion in revenues in 2020 would come from the taxation of Social Security benefits. "Yet those revenues are also likely to be lower, impacted by both large numbers of older Americans who lost income from jobs, as well as from lower distributions from retirement accounts that have lost value from last year," Johnson notes. Under the CARES Act, retirees are allowed to completely waive required minimum distributions for 2020 from retirement accounts. .The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently began a review of all pending immigration deportation cases with the goal of dismissing those of illegal immigrants with no criminal records. TSCL is concerned that the policy, which would scale back deportations of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, could potentially add hundreds of billions in new costs to the growing deficit problems of Social Security, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. … Continued

At a time when Congress is deeply divided on many issues, we need to find a way to break through the gridlock to pass bipartisan, commonsense measures to support our nation's seniors. In that spirit, I introduced the bipartisan SAFE ID Act to ensure that seniors can retire without fear of having their identity stolen or losing their savings. With nine of the ten top cities for tax-ID fraud located in Florida, many seniors in my home state have fallen prey to identity theft and other forms of fraud. This bipartisan legislation will eliminate one big source of identity theft by allowing a shortened taxpayer identity number to be used in place of a social security number on taxpayer forms like W-2s. .Now, Members of the House are planning to vote on a potentially revised CR next Wednesday, which means that the Senate will either be called back to Washington for a vote during their upcoming recess, or they will wait until they return at the end of the month, just days before the September 30th deadline. .In addition, the agreements allow workers who split their careers in two or more nations to combine or "totalize" work credits from both countries. That allows them to become eligible for retirement benefits proportional to the amount of credits earned in either country. Although the U.S. has 24 such totalization agreements, most are with countries like the U.K. and Canada that have economies similar to ours. At issue in totalization with Mexico is whether millions of immigrants who have worked in this country without legal work authorization, along with their family dependents, would become eligible for U.S. Social Security benefits under the agreement. .Deferred Action allows immigrants under the age of 33, who entered the country illegally as children, to request consideration of deferred action on deportation. In addition, the program provides temporary work authorization, and valid Social Security numbers. The work permits are good for two years and the Obama Administration recently announced they are taking applications for renewal. .As we continue dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic, TSCL remains constant in our fight for you to protect your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. We've had to make some adjustments in the way we carry on our work, but we have not, and will not stop our work on your behalf. .It would eliminate two waiting periods that approved DI recipients must endure. Under current law, approved DI beneficiaries must wait five months to begin receiving monthly benefits, and two years to begin receiving Medicare coverage. .Why does decision making have to be so hard? How much time is the right amount to spend on thinking things over? Can you even name anyone who never made a bad decision? We can't either. .Sources: "Salaries of Members of Congress," Ida A. Brudnick, Congressional Research Service, February 1, 2012. .TSCL will continue to monitor the process since it will have an impact on millions of older Americans. For example, Medicare Part D beneficiaries who fall into the coverage gap – or "doughnut hole" – will face higher costs for their prescription drugs. For updates on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter.