Fiscal policy are sin taxes healthy for state budgets 636664663

But one thing is for sure: regardless of whether any agreements on the federal budget are reached or not, Congress will get their pay eventually..Avoid Falling for this Scam:.Opinions expressed in "Congressional Corner" reflect the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of TSCL..TSCL is strongly opposed to plans to "chain the COLA." Such a switch has been estimated to reduce Social Security benefits by about 7% over a 30-year retirement. An average benefit of ,300 in 2017 would be about 5 per month less at the end of the period than it would be using the current CPI. An index that causes higher taxes, and lower retirement benefits, make the chained CPI a bad deal for older Americans..Over the past year, some of the most difficult emails that TSCL received came from those of you who describe wrenching situations caused in large part by high healthcare costs and emergency needs that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic and the weather-related disasters of 2020. That has sometimes included taking in adult children and your grandchildren, and often providing financial assistance from your own savings..Most seniors and their family members feel stymied by trying to figure out which plan would be the best choice. You may also worry that pre-existing health conditions make it difficult to change plans. That's not the case but either way, you will benefit from discussing your situation with a Medicare benefits counselor, not an insurance agent. Free, unbiased counseling is available through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program which operates in almost every area of the country. Local Area Agencies on Aging can refer you to counselors who help you learn about and understand your health plan choices, and to make a switch..What do you think of options to fix the pending insolvency of Social Security's disability program? Take a poll. Visit TSCL's website at..Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Senate is behind in getting its regular work accomplished. We think it's a shame they won't spend more time in session getting the legislation passed that's needed, especially on prescription drug prices, surprise medical billing, shoring up the Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and fixing the COLA to reflect the true inflationary costs that seniors face..Most Americans contribute 6.2% of every paycheck to Social Security, but due to the taxable maximum earnings cap, wealthy individuals earning more than 8,500 pay nothing above that amount. Do you support increasing or eliminating the maximum taxable earnings limit to make the program more solvent?

Newsroom 71 Community Nonprofits And Local Government Organizations Receive Neighborhood Health Connection Gr
House Republicans surprised the nation earlier this year by approving an increase to the federal budget debt limit in exchange for passing the "No Budget, No Pay Act." The legislation required Members of Congress in both chambers to pass a budget resolution by April 15, 2013, or their pay would be withheld until they do. According to a TSCL poll, 62 percent of seniors thought the "No Budget, No Pay Act" was a smart move that would get the legislative process back on track..Those people include Barbara B. - a retired home healthcare aide who lives in the Indianapolis area. "We're due for the increase," she says. But rising Part B premiums will likely take her entire COLA, leaving her with no increase at all in her net operating Social Security benefit again in 2018..Because the Democratic majority in the House is so slim, lawmakers are approaching legislation with an eye on the elections next year. Democrats, especially those facing tough reelection fights in swing districts, will face enormous pressure from the powerful drug lobby to oppose the bill. … Continued

Perspective Coronavirus Unequal Economic Toll
Social Security's finances depend largely on payroll taxes, tying the strength of Social Security to the strength of the U.S. economy. The U.S. unemployment rate was more than 13.3% through May. That was worse than the 2009 Great Recession, when the unemployment rate reached a peak of 10.6% in January 20With 20.5 million people out of work, combined with a higher number of new claims for benefits as older unemployed workers turn to Social Security, there will be a significant impact on the finances of the Social Security Trust Funds. The degree of the impact depends on how long it takes to get our economy safely up and running again..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..After a rare bipartisan agreement, President Obama signed a bill into law that will extend the payroll tax break and unemployment benefits, and prevent a 27% pay cut to Medicare physicians. The President signed the measure into law in private on Wednesday, after celebrating the passage of the bill at an event on Tuesday. … Continued