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their coverage, losing all of the money they paid..Senate Republicans said this week they are more focused on reforming the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, providing more money for cash-strapped state and local governments, boosting benefits for Social Security recipients and fixing other elements of COVID-19 relief bills passed earlier this year..The less painful alternatives are: bringing new state and local workers into the Social Security system, gradually raising the payroll tax cap to its originally intended level, and raising the retirement age..July 15, 2011 The most likely deficit reduction proposals are also the most harmful to the nation's elderly, according to The Senior Citizens League, one of the nation's largest nonpartisan senior citizens advocacy groups. However, a few alternatives exist that would reduce the budget in less painful ways..Fix the flooring. What's underneath the worn-out carpeting? Homes that were built in the 60's often had hardwood floors that were covered by carpeting. But today, hardwood floors are hot with homebuyers who may otherwise run the other way at the sight of dirty out-dated carpet. Get rid of the old carpeting and refinish the hardwood floors. You may need to replace carpeting if plywood subflooring was used instead of hardwood. Unless the flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms is in mint condition, replacing it also tends to pays off..Survivors benefits for a spouse and/or divorced spouse based on the deceased account..TSCL believes Congress will need to make some difficult spending cut decisions, and soon, in order to find the savings needed to address Medicare shortfalls, while ensuring access to doctors and adequate Medicare coverage without reducing benefits. Notch Babies who turn 85 to 94 this year are hit particularly hard because they are at the age when they are more likely to have chronic health conditions that require costly treatment..TSCL Releases 2018 Loss of Buying Power Study.This week, the fall recess continued for lawmakers in the House and Senate who are campaigning for the upcoming elections.

Blog Checking Out State Election Laboratories

TSCL is delivering a letter of protest to Congressional leaders outlining the tax provisions that older Americans support for strengthening Social Security. What do you think of this proposal? Take a poll at..Some say that if workers pay into the system, then they should be entitled to benefits. But TSCL and the overwhelming majority of seniors who have responded to TSCL's surveys believe that Social Security benefits should not be based on illegal earnings and work credits. Congress is considering big changes to both Social Security and Medicare that will result in reducing benefits and higher costs for retirees in the future. TSCL supports measures that would prohibit Social Security from using earnings for jobs worked without legal authorization to be counted towards entitlement to benefits..The Trustees estimated that Social Security's Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, which funds the retirement program, will be able to pay out full benefits until 2035 one year longer than last year's projection. They also found that Medicare's Hospital Insurance trust fund will remain solvent until 2030 the same as last year's projection and that enrollee costs are growing at historically low levels, especially for Parts A and D. … Continued

Interactive Proposals To Replace The Affordable Care Act

Tightening eligibility requirements, including requiring disability applicants to have worked six of the past ten years, and modestly increasing the age at which it becomes easier to qualify for benefits from forty-five to fifty..TSCL's annual Senior Survey asks how much you spend per month on all healthcare costs. Participants are asked to include not only premiums for Medicare Part B, and Part D as well as out of pocket costs for each, but also premiums for Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans, as well as all out-of-pocket spending on doctor visits and services, as well as dental and optical exams, glasses and hearing aids..Unfortunately, for too many members of our communities, that's exactly what is happening, and it's something that I hear about far too often. Millions of seniors across the country, including my own mother, have been the victims of financial scams and they are being cheated out of their rightful retirement. … Continued