Eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits that currently applies to individuals with incomes as low as ,000 and married couples with incomes less than ,000. .Finally, two new cosponsors – Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) – signed on to the Nursing Home CARE Act (H.R. 4704), bringing the total up to twenty-four. The bill, if adopted, would protect Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries by more quickly codifying emergency preparedness rules for nursing home facilities that receive funding from the federal government. .This week, five new cosponsors signed on to the Notch Fairness Act (H.R. 1001). They are: Reps. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2), Collin Peterson (MN-7), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Elton Gallegly (CA-24), and Christopher Smith (NJ-4). These cosponsor additions bring the total up to 35. .Check to see if your drug plan has a deductible, and how much the deductible should be. The number of drug plans that are charging a deductible increased in 2020, and a larger percentage of the plans is charging the full standard deductible of 5 in 2020. A deductible is the amount you pay before your coverage kicks in. Deductibles can vary in how they are applied. You may get coverage for generics from day one, but you are probably going to be required to satisfy a deductible for your Eliquis. Of particular note, enrollees in the SilverScript Choice plan paid no deductible in many regions of the U.S. last year, but they will pay as much as 5 in 2020. A similar situation affects enrollees of the Humana Enhanced plan, who paid no deductible in 201For those who chose to remain in the plan — which is now called Humana Premier Rx, they will pay a 5 deductible. .My drug plan is offering a new mail order system. I normally fill my prescriptions at the pharmacy. Does this really save any money? What would I do if I need a prescription quickly? .More than ever before, it is critical that seniors make their voices heard on Capitol Hill. In the past two years, countless proposals to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits have been backed by deficit hawks in Congress. Recent plans have called for lower cost-of-living adjustments, increased Medicare means testing, a higher retirement age, and even the phasing out of Medicare altogether. The stakes are high for seniors, and with a critical election just months away, every voice counts. The stacks of petitions that our members signed were delivered along with a personalized letter addressed to each Member of Congress. The letters expressed appreciation to those who have already signed on as supporters of the key issues. To those who have not, however, they conveyed a powerful and urgent message and served as a call to action. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. Robert Scott (VA-3) – signed on to Rep. Peter DeFazio's (OR-4) Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act (H.R. 1030). The cosponsor total is now up to ten. If signed into law, Rep. DeFazio's bill would base the Social Security COLA upon the spending patterns of seniors. Currently, it is based upon the way young, urban workers spend their money – a method that underestimates the spending inflation that seniors experience. A study conducted by TSCL in 2012 found that seniors have lost 34 percent of their purchasing power since 2000 – a clear sign that the current COLA is growing too slowly. .Can I expect a cost of living increase this next year? Something needs to happen! .Congressional leaders have already given up on the idea of fully funding the government for the entire 2022 fiscal year and instead the current plan is to pass a "continuing resolution" (CR) that will fund the government at current levels until December The idea is to give them more time to craft the legislation needed to fully fund the new fiscal year.