Health Costs Issue Brief Dental Hearing And Vision Costs And Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries In Traditional Medicare And Medicare AdvantageThis approach is unacceptable to me and reflects the wrong values and priorities. I'll never forget the elderly woman from Galesburg, Illinois who came up to me on the campaign trail last year to tell me how important Medicare is to her well-being. She pleaded with me to fight to protect Medicare because she couldn't afford even an extra in out-of-pocket costs for her healthcare, let alone the additional ,400 the Ryan Budget could put her back..At Monday's press conference, all six Trustees commented on the need for Congress to make some changes to both programs to ensure their financial stability. The Senior Citizens League agrees that both programs must be returned to solvency to ensure that future retirees receive the security they deserve. However, we firmly believe that any changes to either program should be phased in gradually and should not affect those seniors nearing or currently in retirement..The primary means of financing the benefits of the nation's 61 million Social Security recipients is a 6.2% payroll tax that is paid by employees and matched by employers - a total of 12.4%. Current law, however, imposes a limit on the amount of wages that are taxed for Social Security purposes, which is 7,200 in 201"Because Social Security benefits are based on wages, the Social Security cap on earnings also limits the initial retirement benefit that higher earners receive when they retire," Johnson explains. "In fact, all Social Security recipients are wrestling with growing income inadequacy as benefits replace a shrinking portion of wages, and this is especially true for those who earn more than the taxable maximum," Johnson says. … Continued
Health Reform Poll Finding Kaiser Health Tracking Poll June 2013Two Social Security Reforms That Seniors Strongly Support.When it comes to strengthening Social Security's finances, Members of Congress only have two choices - to cut spending on benefits, or increase program revenues. Typically in the past, the focus has been on proposals that would cut benefits rather than raising revenues. Proponents of cuts argue that benefits must be cut because Social Security is insolvent as currently structured. They point to the fact that there are fewer workers to provide payroll tax revenues for swelling number of retirees..We share this information with you as a reminder that TSCL does not get any money from the drug makers or any other corporate or major donors. We rely only on you, our supporters, for the funds that allow us to keeping fighting on your behalf to protect the benefits you paid for all of your working life: benefits you earned, you deserve and that you depend on. … Continued
