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  • Issues Medicare Means Testing Articles

    Voting this way is a temporary answer to reduce health concerns raised by dozens of lawmakers. Several lawmakers have disease and dozens of others placed themselves in self-quarantine after exposure to someone who was infected. The sister of California Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) died because of an infection. .TSCL Endorses Two New House Bills .A major reason that the COLA is so low is the consumer price index that the government uses to calculate the increase. Under current law, the COLA is tied to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). That index surveys the spending patterns of younger working adults and does not include the market basket of goods and services that is more typical of people age 62 and over. The CPI-W gives greater weight to goods and services that younger workers spend more on, like gasoline prices and electronics, which have dramatically dropped in price over the past two years. It gives less weight to housing and medical expenses even though those two categories have experienced bigger price jumps over the past two years, and are the two biggest spending categories for older consumers. … Continued

  • Tscl Submits Statement For The Record On Drug Price Increases To House Oversight And Government Reform Committee

    The President's order halts the collection of payroll taxes from Sept. 1 through the end of the year. In addition, he instructed the Treasury Department to look into how the government can forgive the deferred tax payment permanently because as things stand right now the taxes must be repaid after the first of the year. .(Washington, DC) – The Social Security Administration has announced that the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will increase benefits by 2.0 percent for 201While the increase is the highest in five years, it won't be enough to offset dramatically higher Medicare Part B premium increases for millions of beneficiaries, warns The Senior Citizens League. .I turn 66 in August of next year, and plan to start Social Security retirement benefits. How much may I earn in 2021 without reducing my benefits? … Continued

Since the government transitioned from paper checks to less expensive electronic payment methods, the Social Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) has been investigating unauthorized changes to direct deposits that redirect seniors' benefit payments into accounts set up by crooks. As of June 1, 2013, the OIG's office has received more 50 reports per day involving attempts to make such a change, most often involving redirecting benefits to the prepaid Direct Express debit card accounts. .Your total earnings, including your earnings now until you stop working. .The other rule concerns drug rebates involving Medicare Part D. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that last year Part D rebates totaled .8 billion, representing an average discount of nearly 30% for brand drugs. .Recently, three lawmakers – Sen. John Cornyn (TX), Rep. Phil Roe (TN-1), and Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-38) – introduced the Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act, and it quickly gained the bipartisan support of more than two hundred legislators. Upon introducing the bill, Rep. Sanchez said, "When it comes down to questions of how to cut costs, we think it's better left to the Members of Congress who have constituents that we're answerable to." .As of 2019, one quarter of American adults had no retirement savings at all. Only 36 percent of non-retired American adults think that "their retirement saving is on track," according to the Federal Reserve's annual report. There is no question about it: our nation can do a better job of equipping and encouraging our senior citizens to be prepared for this next season of their lives and provide more opportunities for Americans to plan long-range. Part of this can be done at a policy level, by passing practical reforms that address the obstacles to saving that some Americans experience. We must also address this on a personal level, by ensuring more Americans are equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to effectively save for and secure their futures. .Sources: "Do You Like Your Doctor? Obamacare Drives UnitedHealth to Downsize its Medicare Physician Networks," Avik Roy, Forbes, November 18, 2013. .In 2016 there was no COLA at all, and in 2017 the COLA was just 0.3 percent. During that time a special provision of law known as "hold harmless" protected about 70 percent of Social Security recipients from reductions to their Social Security benefits due to increasing Medicare Part B premiums. .This week, after weeks of intense negotiations, lawmakers reached a bipartisan budget deal that will fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw one key bill gain critical support. .You can also sign a petition to your Members of Congress, find contact information for your Senators and Representatives, and stay updated with the latest news on Capitol Hill.