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  • Issues Notch Track Bills

    Medicare does not usually cover eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, Medicare Part B helps pay for corrective lenses when the patient has cataract surgery to implant an intraocular lens. Corrective lenses include one pair of eyeglasses with standard frames or one set of contact lenses. .During the recent government shutdown, a group of feisty World War II vets managed to do what Congress failed miserably to do for another 15 days – reopen a part of our shuttered government. The National Mall and parks in Washington D.C. were closed to visitors. But on day one of the shutdown, CNN reported that "busloads of World War II vets, many in wheel chairs, broke past the barricades to visit the World War II Memorial as onlookers applauded." As the cameras rolled and several Members of Congress were busy trading blame, a line of vets rolled past security officers "who willingly stepped aside," CNN reported. .Survey the assisted living and long term care options available in your area. You can start your search by phone or online using the Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-111The Eldercare Locator is a service of the U.S. Administration on Aging and connects people with services in your community. … Continued

  • Legislative Update February 2020

    Other Legislation Also Targets Scams and Fraud Against Seniors .President was expanding home and community-based care for the elderly and disabled and improving conditions for the poorly paid workers who give that care. .The Senior Citizens League strongly believes allowing the HHS Secretary to negotiate with the drug companies is one important way to reduce the costs of drugs for seniors. We will be continuing our efforts to get Congress to pass legislation that would make this possible. … Continued

A divorced spouse can receive Social Security benefits on the account of an ex-wife (or husband) just the same as a surviving widower or widow. To qualify, your marriage must have lasted 10 years or more, and you did not remarry prior to age 60. You can receive a widower's benefit while you delay claiming your own retirement benefit to allow it to grow until age 70. You may claim your own retirement benefit, anytime it is higher than what you receive in survivors benefits up to age 70. .Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a "quick fix." ."To lower the expected cost of these new benefits, House Democrats have proposed introducing the new dental benefits starting in 2028, ramping up the coverage over five years." .How You Can Get Help With Heating Costs .On Wednesday, Congressmen Elijah Cummings (MD-7) and Peter Welch (VT) met with President Donald Trump to discuss the state of the prescription drug industry. At the meeting, they requested President Trump's support for TSCL-backed legislation called the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (H.R. 242, S. 41), which would require the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Currently, Medicare is prohibited from doing so despite the fact that other federal health programs are required to. .Source: "The 2018 Long-Term Budget Outlook," The Congressional Budget Office, June 2018. .Unlike income brackets that are adjusted annually, the income thresholds that subject Social Security income to taxation are fixed. Because of this, the number of Social Security recipients who are hit by the tax has increased substantially over the years as incomes have grown. .This week, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 1795), bringing the total up to one hundred and thirteen. The new cosponsors are: Reps. Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Brett Guthrie (KY-2), and Katherine Clark (MA-5). If signed into law, the Social Security Fairness Act would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) – two federal provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, fire fighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. .Last Wednesday, the Senate's Special Committee on Aging held a hearing titled "Turning 65: Navigating Critical Decisions to Age Well." The committee focused on the social and financial challenges that keep many seniors from living fulfilling lives in retirement. As Chairwoman Collins (ME) stated, "For the next 12 years, 10,000 Americans will turn 65 each day."