He noted that a vaccine's rarer side effects are often not recognized until it is put into broad use. To discover an adverse outcome that only occurs in one person in 100,000, for instance, a company would need to test it in 384,250 people from broad backgrounds and with a variety of medical conditions..The Senior Citizens League is working for enactment of legislative measures that would lower prescription drug costs. To learn how to get involved, visit..TSCL supports H.R. 4012 enthusiastically, and we were pleased to see two new cosponsors sign on to it this week. We will be advocating for the passage of H.R. 4012 and S. 2251 Sen. Elizabeth Warren's companion bill tirelessly in the coming months because we know that a 3.9 percent COLA would provide much-needed relief to our members and supporters next year..Accelerate retirement account distributions when you have excess deductions. If your standard deduction will exceed your taxable income this year, consider withdrawing a little more retirement funds if you will need them this year. Doing so when you have a low or even a zero tax rate will potentially help you avoid paying more in the future when your deductions are lower or taxes rates are higher..This year's Trustees Reports show that both programs face modest financial challenges that can be addressed by Congress with minor reforms. The Senior Citizens League supports the passage of legislation like the Social Security 2100 Act or the Social Security Expansion Act, both of which would strengthen the Social Security program's finances responsibly, without cutting benefits for current or future retirees. In addition, we hope Congress will pass legislation to bring down prescription drug costs in the Medicare program. Requiring Part D drug price negotiation would save billions of dollars for both the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries..Another initiative announced on Monday will improve the quality and safety requirements for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. The new rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will update the standards that have been in place for nearly twenty-five years. According to the administration, it will "improve quality of life, enhance person-centered care and services for residents in nursing homes, improve resident safety, and bring these regulatory requirements into closer alignment with current professional standards.".This year, more than 50% of Social Security beneficiaries paid taxes on their benefits, even though many of them only made twice the federal poverty level in income. Do you believe this is fair, and if not, what should be done about it?.While it is true that we must come together to address our budget, we cannot fix our fiscal problems on the backs of our seniors. We also must not use our economic future as a bargaining chip to advance unrelated partisan interests. During my time in Congress I'm proud to fight for Medicare benefits for our next generation of seniors. As we look forward to the next 50 years I am cognizant of some of the challenges facing Medicare. But I also see opportunity:.Doctors, hospitals, and other providers would also be affected payments would be reduced to nursing homes, teaching hospitals, and other facilities, and doctors would no longer be paid according to the fee schedule laid out in the flawed sustainable growth rate formula. While some of these changes including the repeal of the SGR would be welcomed by TSCL, we do have serious concerns about the increased cost-sharing that many beneficiaries would see under the plan.
