Last week was a busy one in Congress. There are 3 reasons for that. First, the worsening of the coronavirus pandemic in many more states and the need to pass another major piece of legislation to deal with its effects..This week, Members of Congress continued working on a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government operating past October 1st. In addition, The Senior Citizens League announced its support for one new piece of legislation, and two key bills gained support..TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 1030, H.R. 1795, and H.R. 1179, and we were pleased to see support grow for each one this week..TSCL's all-volunteer Board of Trustees and legislative team including former Congressman David Funderburk and Mrs. Betty Funderburk look forward to working with both new and veteran lawmakers in the 113th Congress. For more information about our legislative agenda, click HERE..TSCL sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking for their support for a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA. Stated TSCL's Chairman Arthur Cooper, "Eighty-six percent of TSCL's members and supporters believe Congress must pass legislation tying the annual COLA to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. Doing so would more accurately base COLAs on the spending patterns of seniors instead of the spending patterns of young, urban workers, and would go a long way in improving the adequacy of Social Security benefits.".The suppressed growth in Social Security benefits not only creates ongoing benefit adequacy issues for retirees, but also Medicare budget problems when the COLA is not sufficient to cover rising Part B premiums for large numbers of beneficiaries. When the dollar amount of the annual Medicare Part B premium increase is greater than the dollar amount of an individual's annual cost of living adjustment, the Social Security benefits of about 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are protected by the hold-harmless provision in the Social Security Act. The Medicare Part B premium of those individuals is reduced to prevent their net Social Security benefits from being lower than the year before..The adjuvanted flu vaccine is made with MF59 adjuvant, an additive that can create a stronger immune response to vaccination. In a recent review of multiple vaccine trials, older adults who received a MF59-adjuvated vaccine had a significantly higher immune response than those who received a standard flu vaccine, The adjuvanted vaccine was available for the first time in the United States during the 2016-2017 flu season. Learn more about adjuvanted flu vaccine here..The resolution introduced by Rep. Rigell expresses a commitment to two critical issues facing seniors, and TSCL was pleased to lend its support to it this week..Under the proposed House budget resolution, a Social Security "reform trigger" would be pulled in any year the Social Security Trustees determine the 75-year actuarial balance of the Social Security Trust Fund is in deficit. The resolution would also put any legislation on an expedited schedule for passage.

Medicaid Issue Brief Financial Alignment Demonstrations For Dual Eligible Beneficiaries Compared

New legislation passed in the House to repeal and replace Obamacare puts access to health care for the sickest, poorest, and even older Americans on Medicare at risk, warns The Senior Citizens League. Says TSCL's Medicare and Social Security policy analyst, Mary Johnson, "The GOP's American Health Care Act:.The receipt for the original purchase with the questioned charge, or if you used a credit card, a copy of the credit card statement..In addition, the Social Security Fairness Act gained one new cosponsor in Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, bringing the cosponsor total up to 16If signed into law, H.R. 1205 would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision two Social Security provisions that unfairly reduce the earned benefits of millions of public servants each year. … Continued

Unity Hospital Patient And Visitor Information

Late this week, lawmakers in the House and Senate adjourned for a week-long holiday recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, July 10th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings in their home states and districts..While you probably won't find any single professional who can provide you with all the answers you may need for your mom, most areas of the country have access to an Agency on Aging that can help put you in touch with a number of valuable resources and people who can answer your questions. Most agencies serve specific geographic areas of several neighboring counties, although some operate statewide in less populated states. All Area Agencies on Aging receive federal funding that is supplemented with additional state and local funding..Maintenance and repair: This doesn't refer to occasional jobs like painting and replacing a roof, for which you may need to tap savings or a home equity line of credit. This category covers the far more common on-going repair headaches like leaky plumbing, failed furnaces, and drafty windows. Housekeeping and gardening services and equipment also come under this expense category. As seniors age, the need for services grows as health and living circumstances change. A common rule of thumb is to establish from 2% to 4% of the value of your home as your annual maintenance and repair budget. If 2% is too big of a stretch, forcing you to spend down your savings faster than you intended, you may want to think about downsizing your home as a new year's resolution, and look for newer, more modest housing in a less expensive area or even renting. … Continued

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