TSCL was pleased to see support grow for H.R. 1251 and S. 427 this week, and we will continue to advocate for them tirelessly in the months ahead. For more information, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website..Social Security benefits are one of the few types of retirement income to be automatically adjusted annually for inflation. In 2020, more than 61 million Social Security recipients received a 1.6 percent annual COLA, which raised the average ,460 benefit by .40 per month.."The current relationship between many doctors and drug companies is a conflict of interest," McCaskill says. "It's leaving the best interest of patients behind, and we have to do something to fix it.".On Wednesday, with a vote of 236-191, lawmakers in the House passed a .7 billion spending bill that would fund DHS through the remainder of the fiscal year. They also passed five amendments to the bill that would address President Obama's recent immigration orders..The annual COLA is tied to the rise in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation has been at record lows in most of the seven years since 2009, averaging just 1.2 percent. In the decade prior to 2009, COLAs averaged more than 3 percent. And although low inflation can be helpful to younger wage earners and workers, "it's not always a boon for people receiving Social Security benefits," says Ed Cates, Chairman of TSCL..Following the reception, the Board of Trustees and TSCL's legislative team spent the afternoon meeting with six Members of Congress and their top aides. Support was expressed for a number of key bills, including the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, the Notch Fairness Act, and the Social Security Fairness Act, among others..For more progress updates or for more information about these issues, and other bills that would strengthen the Social Security program and make improvements to Medicare, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website or follow TSCL on Twitter..President Trump has said that he wants to deliver on his promise to lower drug costs, but bipartisan legislation is required to cap costs and provide real cost savings for older Americans. If Congress fails to take action, older Americans will bear the increasing burden of higher drug spending through depleted savings, higher taxes, and a lower standard of living..You may well find that the best way to come out ahead is to pay out-of-pocket and brush your teeth regularly at least twice a day, for a full 2 minutes. If you don't already have a regular dentist, call around to find the most reasonable fees and to see if the dental practice is willing to provide "senior" discounts. If you have good oral health and few health or dental problems, ask the dentist if you can stretch your exams out to every 9 months instead of twice a year, and space out X-rays.
