News

  • Congress And Covid 19

    On Thursday, with a vote of 326-96, lawmakers in the House passed legislation that will fund the federal government past December 9th. The short-term continuing resolution (CR) will provide funding at a .07 trillion rate – up slightly from the current rate of .067 trillion – through April 28, 2017. .Because a high percentage of taxpayers were affected by under-withholdings due to the problematic tax tables, the IRS allowed a waiver of penalties for both 2009 and 2010 tax years. But taxpayers have to request the waiver of penalties in order to receive it. According to the Treasury Inspector General, last year virtually no taxpayer surveyed knew they could request a waiver. .On Wednesday, TSCL's Board of Trustees, along with Executive Director Shannon Benton, presented Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC-7) with the 2012 Seniors Advocate Award for his efforts on behalf of the nation's senior citizens. For more than fifteen years, Rep. McIntyre has been a leader dedicated to the issues that matter the most to TSCL's members and supporters. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending November 23 2012

    The plan was blocked in lower courts after the state of Texas and 25 other states sued, saying that Obama had exceeded his authority. TSCL filed a "friend of the court" brief, in support of Texas and the other states, arguing concerns about costs to Social Security and Medicare. .Mandatory programs are those, like Medicare, that are automatically funded every year without passage of annual legislation to pay for them. Congress can, however, waive the PAYGO rules to avoid the payment cuts. ."Our health care system is a symbol of our national identity and we are committed to defending it. The actions we are taking today will help protect Canadians' access to the medication they rely on," said Patty Hajdu, Canada's minister of health. … Continued

The fourth article is quite lengthy, but it discusses the issue of how much a vaccine for the coronavirus will cost once it is available. Obviously, that is a concern for all of us because we all are anxiously awaiting its development. .Computed tomography or CT scans are diagnostic tests that are covered by Medicare when medically necessary and ordered by your healthcare provider. Medicare most typically covers the tests under Part B when you are an outpatient, or the tests would be covered by Part A if you receive the CT scan as an inpatient during a hospital stay. .Housing: (rent of primary residence, owners' equivalent rent, fuel oil, bedroom furniture) .This week, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 973), bringing the total up to 120. The new cosponsors are: Reps. Larry Bucshon (IN-8), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), and Norma Torres (CA-35). .Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment – Ensure a fair, accurate, and guaranteed COLA. .In a recent survey of TSCL's supporters, as many as one-third of respondents said they postponed filling their prescriptions or took less than prescribed due to high costs. They question why Congress hasn't taken action to improve the system and to protect the American public from rising drug costs. .A seventeen-member conference committee comprised of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate is currently working towards a long-term bipartisan deal to keep the federal government operating. Should they fail to reach a compromise before the looming deadline, it will shut down once again. .Both Senate Leader McConnell and President Trump have said they are in no rush to pass another virus-related aid bill, but the Democrats believe it is necessary to get relief out to individuals and businesses as soon as possible. .New Virus Relief Bill Could Affect Social Security and Medicare