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January 2007.Some lawmakers are advocating for paid leave legislation that would require new parents to trade their future Social Security retirement benefits for twelve weeks of parental leave. This would undermine the mission of the Social Security program, increase its insolvency, and permanently cut the retirement benefits of those who take paid leave. Do you think this is a responsible proposal?.The recent battle in Congress over lifting the debt limit contained mostly good news and some not so good news, for disabled and retired Americans. The legislation rolled back an unprecedented 52% spike in Medicare Part B premiums due to affect about 15.6 million Medicare recipients, and it prevented a 19% cut in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits due to occur later this year. But the legislation contained no Cost-of-Living Adjustment relief for 2016, and closed off one of the few claiming strategies that some Americans have to boost their Social Security payouts..I learned that my client's new brand name prescription cost more than a.If signed into law, H.R. 3513 would take a number of steps to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, including requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate Part D drug prices, allowing the re-importation of drugs from Canada, closing the "doughnut hole" three years earlier than current law, and prohibiting "pay-for-delay" deals between drug manufacturers..So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill..TSCL thus believes that the DREAM Act may ultimately lead to a tsunami of new Social Security disability and retirement claims, as well as swelling the Medicare rolls. The 2004 Social Security Protection Act requires that noncitizens assigned Social Security numbers after January 1, 2004, must have work authorization in order to file a claim for benefits. Once work authorization documents are provided, however, the Social Security Administration would then determine entitlement for benefits on all earnings, even including jobs performed while illegal. If the green card holder proves evidence of the jobs worked, like W2s, even under invalid Social Security numbers the earnings would be applied to their new Social Security number..According to most projections the change would cut benefits by about 7% over 25 years for current beneficiaries. But that estimate doesn't include the full cost of the cut for new retirees. Baby Boomers who have not yet turned age 60 would be hit particularly hard because the COLA is used in the Social Security benefit formula to adjust average monthly earnings once a person turns 60. The adjustment is automatically applied even if people haven't yet filed a claim for benefits. The COLA adjustments along with a delayed benefit credit helps to boost initial benefits of people who delay benefits and work longer..Effective since 1977, the GPO prohibits retired spouses, widows, and widowers from receiving the full benefits based on his or her spouse's employment. The WEP was passed in 1983 and reduces the benefit of a retired or disabled worker who also receives a federal, state or local government annuity based on his or her earnings by up to 60 percent.