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As we've reported in the past, the Democrats have the narrowest of majorities in both the House and the Senate. They can't afford to lose any Democratic votes in the Senate and only 3 in the House. That's crucial because Republicans in both Houses are almost unanimously opposed to the legislation Democrats want to pass, so Democrats have to do it on their own..We look forward to working with Sen. Casey and Rep. Cartwright in the coming months to help build support for this important bill. In addition, we urge our members and supporters to contact their elected officials to request their support for it. For contact information, CLICK HERE..To ensure the solvency of Social Security for retirees and disabled who live in the U.S. and pay into the system legally, the study makes the following recommendations:.Walden tried to include in previous coronavirus legislation an agreement he and Pallone struck with Sen. Lamar Alexander late in 2019 designed to end "balance billing" practices and cap some out-of-network charges insured patients faced when seeking emergency room care. Senate leaders decided against including this provision in any of the three bills that cleared Congress, according to reports.."No Limit: Medicare Part D Enrollees Exposed to High Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Without a Hard Cap On Spending," Kaiser Family Foundation, November 201"Summary of Recent and Proposed Changes to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and Reimbursement," Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2018..Medicare has begun a major program change that affects diabetics who get supplies home delivered and other seniors who rent medical equipment like home oxygen gear and wheel chairs. The program is intended to help seniors save money when they buy supplies and rent equipment, but TSCL believes it is more likely to first cause confusion and surprise unanticipated costs until patients figure out the new system..With unemployment still 5.4%, and less payroll tax revenue to finance the benefits of swelling Social Security rolls, how is the program's financing faring during our 2021 economic recovery? The Social Security Trustees are expected to soon release a much-anticipated annual report that gives us our first real glimpse of how the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic affected Social Security's retirement, survivors and disability programs in 2020..As FDR once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." We will learn the lessons your generation has taught us and not give in to fear. With your support, we will preserve that which we promised and leave a legacy to our posterity..TSCL agrees, and we fear that if triggered, the IPAB's recommendations could lead to higher costs for seniors or decreased access to quality medical care. We are enthusiastic supporters of Rep. Roe's bill, and we were pleased to see it win passage in the House this week.

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From January through March, TSCL surveyed seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries to learn how our readers feel about many of the proposals under debate. Almost 5,000 of you weighed in. The answers are important as members of Congress consider major changes to Medicare, most of which would make people pay more for their benefits..Sixty-two percent of American households include at least one pet. Mine includes two –both a dog and an aging cat. New advances in veterinary medicines are making expensive treatments a reality, often putting owners into an emotional and fiscally painful bind. For example, I learned that my dog with paralysis in her hind quarters from a potentially fatal spinal disc rupture had the option of getting a ,000 surgery, followed by weeks of physical therapy in a swimming tank. My cat with hyperthyroidism is receiving oral medications costing up to 0 per year including blood tests. Even if your pet is perfectly healthy, vet bills for routine annual check-ups, tests, vaccines and treatments can run about 0 per year for dogs and 5 per year for cats..The Bipartisan Policy Center points out in a recent blog, that each of these sources of revenues is negatively impacted by high unemployment. When people are out of work, no payroll taxes are withheld from earnings. A portion of Social Security benefits is taxable when a Social Security recipient has an income higher than ,000 or ,000 for a couple filing jointly. But the coronavirus recession has impacted both earnings from jobs and the value of retirement accounts, so that fewer retirees will meet the income thresholds that make their benefits taxable this year. Finally, the Federal Reserve has responded to the recession by cutting interest rates, which means that the yields on the bonds held by the Social Security Trust Funds are smaller and will provide lower interest income. A recession also causes a higher number of new claims when older workers are forced to retire earlier than planned, raising costs in the short term. … Continued

Blog In Memoriam New Mexico Senator John Pinto

"The 6.7 percent increase in the Part B premium is the largest since 2006 for a year in which a COLA is payable," Johnson says. There have been bigger jumps in Part B premiums as recently as 2016 and 2017, but those were two years in which there was no or almost no COLA paid. This situation can cause unusually high Part B premium spikes..The Social Security Fairness Act, if signed into law, would amend the Social Security Act by repealing the government pension offset and the windfall elimination provision. TSCL believes that these two provisions unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. We were pleased to see support grow for the Social Security Fairness Act this week..TSCL agrees with Congressman Garamendi, and we hope to see his CPI-E Act signed into law before the end of the 115th Congress. For more information on H.R. 1251, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. To read The Senior Citizens League's Loss of Buying Power study, click HERE. … Continued