Medicare Part D is a rip off. My wife and I will pay more for our medication now, because we cannot afford to take the risk of not enrolling. We were getting most of our drugs from Canada, but under Part D we not only have to pay a monthly premium, but also have co-pays, plus much higher prices for our medication to meet the deductible or if we hit the doughnut hole. Forcing us to do this is simply not fair. What happened to the legislation to legalize the importation of drugs from Canada? .For more information, visit the website of the National Academy of Social Insurance at www.NASI.org and download a copy of "When Should I Take Social Security Benefits? ". Or watch a video "It Pays To Wait". ."The Medicare Trustees already estimate that Medicare Part B and Part D premiums and out-of-pocket costs take about 27 percent of average Social Security benefits," states TSCL Chairman, Larry Hyland. "And that understates actual costs because it doesn't include what people pay for their supplements or Medicare Advantage plans," he notes. "These proposals simply shift a greater portion and more risk to seniors, making Medicare even less affordable for low- and middle-income beneficiaries," Hyland says. "We urge seniors to contact their lawmakers in Congress and let them know what you think of these ideas to cut the deficit," he adds. TSCL lobbies to keep Medicare affordable and protect seniors from cuts to Social Security benefits and reductions to the COLA. In addition TSCL supports legislation to provide a more fair and adequate COLA. .Five Bills Gain Support .Other priorities in 2015 will include advocating for a more fair and accurate Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, monitoring the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and protecting Medicare Advantage enrollees from harsh and unforeseen benefit cuts. .Low-income "dual eligibles" — Medicare beneficiaries whose incomes are so low that they are also eligible for Medicaid. Part B premiums are paid on their behalf by their state Medicaid program (about 19% of beneficiaries).[4] .The entire process is done at the taxpayer's expense. Non-citizens who worked under fraudulent or invalid Social Security numbers, are not penalized. This occurs even though the use of a non-valid fraudulent SSN is in violation of 1988 identity theft laws. The 1988 law made it a federal crime when a person "knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law." (15) .House Leaders Propose ACA Replacement .No change to the taxation of Social Security benefits: Up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be subject to taxation. When that provision was first enacted into law in 1983, it was expected to affect only 10% of households with Social Security income. But unlike tax brackets, the income thresholds subjecting Social Security benefits to taxation have never been adjusted. Today, just as in 1983, individuals with incomes greater than ,000 (or ,000 for married couples filing jointly), pay taxes on their Social Security benefits. According to TSCL surveys, roughly half of all households receiving Social Security pay tax on a portion of their benefits. Not only are the numbers who pay the tax growing, but people are paying taxes on larger portions of their Social Security income as well.