News

  • Social Security Trust Fund Missing Top Paid Ceos

    One of TSCL's top priorities again this year is for legislation to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. It is outrageous that we in the United States pay some of the highest prices in the developed world for the prescription drugs that we urgently need to preserve our health. .43% support very gradually increasing the Social Security payroll tax rate paid by employers and employees. .If adopted, this key bill would improve Social Security COLAs by basing them on the CPI-E, and it would cover the cost by phasing out the payroll tax cap over the course of seven years. Together, these changes would improve the adequacy of Social Security benefits and strengthen the solvency of the Trust Funds past 2035. … Continued

  • Congressional Corner Halt Tax Hike Seniors

    72% support applying the Social Security payroll tax to all earnings (instead of capping the amount of wages to be taxed at 2,800), a move that would reduce Social Security's long - term deficit by as much as 73%. .Do you think Social Security's funding should be strengthened? Consider attending a local town hall in your area. Sign up to ask questions, or approach a staffer of your Member of Congress to relay your ideas. Together, we can make the case that better retirement security can't be achieved through cutting the benefits that more than 61 million people depend on, but rather by everyone paying their fair share during their working years. .Recreation (televisions, toys, pets and pet products, sports equipment, admissions); … Continued

Home delivery is best suited for "maintenance" drugs, the type you take every day over the long term. You will still need to continue to use your drug plan's "preferred" retail pharmacies if you need a short-term or one-time prescription like an antibiotic. .Doing this can be worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in savings in a single year, and it's surprisingly simple. Free one-on-one counseling is available from local Medicare benefits counselors like me in every area of the country, through State Health Insurance Programs (SHIP). Many of these programs operate through local area agencies on aging, senior centers, and community health centers. .TSCL will continue to keep the pressure up on Congress to get this problem solved as soon as possible. .Can Home Health Agencies Provide Rebates? ."That combination elevates the risk of disruptions to care, and unexpected, uncovered costs — two problems that could plague seniors shifted to new managed-care plans," Hyland says. Most states are expected to "passively enroll" beneficiaries into the plans requiring beneficiaries to take the initiative to opt out. "It is too early to know what type of choices those wishing to opt out will have," Hyland notes. "Without a strong notification and education process, many of the affected dual eligibles may not be aware, or understand, that they have new health coverage, " he says. "A new health plan can mean a change of doctor if their former providers don't participate," Hyland explains. .I recently received a notice from Social Security that says I've been overpaid because I earned more than the allowable amount. I started benefits at age 62 after losing my job. I finally found a new one and I've been working for the past two years. I'm now 6When I first tried to report my earnings at our local Social Security office, I was told that the Social Security Administration would let me know what would be taken out of my benefits. The notice I received says I was overpaid by more than ,000! Now it looks like I won't get any Social Security payment for months. .The Covid-19 pandemic has both heightened the urgency of reining in pharmaceutical costs yet also made it harder for lawmakers to act. Drug makers say limiting their profits could hamper efforts to create a vaccine against the virus, but medicines to treat it come with significant price tags. Gilead Sciences, Inc., set the price for its widely used Remdesivir at ,340 for a five-day treatment. .TSCL Presents 2012 Seniors Advocate Award .Funding concerns are one of the key reasons TSCL is relieved SSA has decided to remove the text requirement from the login process. Without online access, more seniors than ever would have been relying on their local Social Security offices, and under-staffed offices would surely have been overwhelmed with requests.