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TSCL advocates for legislation that makes affordability for Medicare beneficiaries a priority. Medicare healthcare costs are the fastest growing cost that retired households face, and beneficiaries often shoulder a heavy financial burden. "Cutting Medicare benefits, while shifting more costs to beneficiaries, would be the wrong way to strengthen program financing" says Johnson..New Co-Sponsor for Key Bill.The situation is caused by a drop in the average wage index which is used in the Social Security benefit formula. Normally, wages tend to go up year over year. But in 2020, the COVID-19 recession and sudden high unemployment may have caused the index to plummet. This type of benefit reduction is known as a "notch" and these people are the "1960 Notch Baby Boomers.".New Top Official for CMS.If adopted, the Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act would expand Medicare coverage to include essential hearing, vision, and dental care. Under current law, the traditional Medicare program is prohibited from covering these basic health care services, and millions of seniors living on fixed incomes cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for routine care or assistive technologies like hearing aids..Representative Sheila Jackson Lee introduced H.R. 46 on January 3, 201It has since been referred..Premiums for Medicare Part B, as well as premiums for either a Medigap and Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan..A new report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that new payroll taxes would boost Social Security and Medicare's financial condition in the short term. But in the long term, federal spending would increase significantly as those affected by immigration policy changes become eligible for Social Security and Medicare..If adopted, S. 62 would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate fair prescription drug prices under Part D of the Medicare program.