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This week, lawmakers in the Senate voted on three health reform bills that would have repealed and replaced parts of the ACA if enacted. All three of the bills the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Obamacare Repeal and Reconciliation Act, and the Health Care Freedom Act better known as the "skinny repeal" bill failed to win passage on the Senate floor..On Tuesday, the Social Security Administration announced that beneficiaries will receive a 0.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment in January the lowest Social Security COLA ever paid. It will increase the average monthly benefit by just around five dollars, and it is likely to be offset completely by increased Medicare Part B premiums..Sen. Enzi, one of the leading negotiators, said in a statement: "Congress is poised to approve a 10-year balanced budget for the first time since 2001, which represents an important step in confronting the nation's chronic overspending. This will help change the way we do business here in Washington to make the government live within its means just like hardworking families.".The "Congressional Corner" reflects the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of The Senior Citizens League..News on the Coronavirus Vaccine Front.Find resources in your community using the Eldercare Locator..The U.S. aims to diversify its drug supply chain, relying on a geographically diverse set of manufacturers.White House Holds Aging Conference.Those in the Senate will resume work next week on the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which will have a significant impact on the health and financial security of older Americans if adopted. If Republican leaders in the Senate successfully negotiate a compromise with the most conservative and moderate members of the party, the BCRA could be signed into law before the end of this month.

Actor Alan Alda Says He Has Parkinsons Disease

With about 1 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Located just outside Washington, D.C., its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for..And while Social Security benefits have flat-lined since 2010, retirees report that household expenses are still climbing - causing people to spend retirement savings more quickly and to go into debt. This year Social Security recipients received no COLA at all, but 73 percent of survey participants reported that their monthly expenses grew by more than over the past twelve months. Things aren't likely to improve soon. The Social Security Trust Fund trustees estimate that the COLA in 2017 will be just 0.2 percent - just .00 for ,000 in benefits..We believe that given the complexity of the new program, seniors who need insulin would be wise to enlist the assistance of a trained counselor before switching to such a plan to ensure they aren't giving up better coverage in other ways. This is particularly true if they are now in a Medigap plan and considering moving to a Medicare Advantage plan. … Continued

Perspective Hotspot States See More Covid Cases In Nursing Homes

the New Deal in 1935, it was never designed to be anyone's sole means of support.A majority of the 54 million senior and disabled Americans who receive Social Security depend on it for at least 50 percent of their total income, and one in three beneficiaries rely on it for 90 percent or more of their total income.."Sequester Savings on Senior Programs Would Add New Cost, Study Says," Kerry Young, CQ Roll Call. "Meals on Wheels Budget Cuts: 'Slowly Developing Crisis,'" Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, May 6, 2013. … Continued