News

In the weeks ahead, TSCL will continue to monitor the health reform discussions in the Senate and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. In the meantime, we encourage our members and supporters to contact those in the Senate who voted against the "skinny repeal" bill to express their gratitude. Senators Collins, Murkowski, and McCain took a stand against legislation that would have jeopardized the health and financial security of millions of older Americans, and TSCL appreciates their leadership on this important issue. For contact information, click HERE..It remains to be seen whether a deal will be reached before the December deadline Congressional Quarterly reports that the prospects for an agreement are "dimming." Discussions will likely continue behind closed doors over the upcoming weeks, and TSCL will continue to monitor the negotiations. Check back for updates every Friday..These settlements are only a good deal for the drug manufacturers involved brand name and generic. They are a flat-out bad deal for patients. Pay-for-delay deals make necessary prescriptions unaffordable for many seniors and their families..In the coming days, TSCL will be keeping a very close eye on the movement of the omnibus spending bill. If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement before the December 11th deadline, the federal government will shut down once again, potentially impacting the timeliness of Social Security checks and reimbursements to doctors who treat Medicare patients..Under current law, the federal government matches state Medicaid spending for everyone whose income is low enough to qualify, which is tied to the federal poverty level of ,060 or ,240. Under current law, as Medicaid spending increases due to rising program costs there are no caps on what the federal government contributes. Under the House and Senate health care bills, the federal government would switch to reimbursing states using a capped amount, regardless of the actual growth in costs in a state. If costs grow faster states would have to make up the difference..To improve program solvency, TSCL's surveys have found that a large majority of survey participants, 72%, support applying the Social Security payroll tax to all earnings instead of just the first 2,800 in earnings..Of the respondents, 19% said they had used bleach on food, 18% said they had applied household cleaners to their skin, 10% said they had misted themselves with disinfectant sprays, 6% had inhaled vapors from the cleaners, and 4% had drunk or gargled diluted bleach solutions, soapy water, or other disinfectants..TSCL's Board of Trustees on Capitol Hill.Inadequate disclosure of costs. Does the lender hide or gloss over the costs? Are the terms appropriate or have the terms of the initial offer changed?