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Changes are looming for Medicare and Social Security. Make your opinion count. Visit TSCL online at and take our monthly poll!.Much of Wednesday's hearing was focused on the repeal of the ACA. Several lawmakers in the majority party including Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander called for the establishment of a solid ACA replacement plan. He said: "The American people deserve health care reform that's done the right way, for the right reasons, in the right amount of time. It's not about developing a quick fix, it's about working toward long-term solutions that work for everyone." Congressman Price seemed to agree, and he expressed his support for a health system that ensures health insurance access but not a guarantee of coverage for all..Starting January 1, 2014, all Americans are required to have health insurance. People who can afford it, but don't purchase health insurance by that date, may have to pay a fee, and must also pay the entire cost of all medical care they may later require. The fee in 2014 is 1% of your yearly income, or per person for the year, whichever is higher and that fee increases every year. By 2016, it is 2.5% of income, or 5 per person, whichever is higher..TSCL strongly believes the Social Security COLA that seniors currently receive does not accurately reflect how they must spend their money. We estimate that a senior who retired with average benefits in 1984 would have received ,723.16 more through 2011 had the CPI-E been used. TSCL is very supportive of the CPI-E Act, and we were pleased to see support grow for it this week..Before a company's drug patent expires, manufacturers of generics race to file lawsuits to challenge the patent. The company that wins gets a six-month period of exclusive sales to sell the drug. While this doesn't always happen, when it does it can delay real market competition until several manufacturers start making the generic version..Sen. John Cornyn introduced H.R. 1190 on January 8, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Finance..Can I Work and Receive Social Security Benefits at the Same Time?.Earlier this year, after passing a .9 trillion tax bill in December and a .3 trillion spending package in March, leaders in the House called for a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution that could have been disastrous for your Social Security and Medicare benefits. The amendment ultimately failed in the House, thanks to the voices of concerned citizens like you, but many lawmakers have said they aren't giving up on the drastic measure..Forty-nine years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law and by doing so made a solemn agreement with every single American. Simply put, if you work hard and play by the rules, Medicare will be there for you when you retire.

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Coming to Congress, just one year ago, I pledged to make rural healthcare a top priority. One of the first things I did was to join the Rural Health Care Coalition, a bi-partisan coalition committed to advancing rural priorities in health care policy in Congress. The first action we took this Congress was to introduce the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 200The H-CARE Act is a comprehensive piece of legislation that makes important improvements to help rural healthcare providers address the challenges associated with delivering quality healthcare close to home..Sen. Mark Begich introduced S. 896 on May 8, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Finance..However, concern is growing that the Medicare Part B premium increase, which the Social Security Administration deducts directly from Social Security benefits, could consume a substantial amount of any COLA increase next year. Legislation enacted by Congress last year restricted the 2021 Medicare Part B premium from increasing more than .90 per month due to the very low COLA increase of just 1.3 percent, a result of extremely low inflation due to the COVID-19 recession. The basic Part B premium is 8.50 per month in 202"With a high COLA increase in 2022, Part B premiums might make a catch-up jump, especially as people make up visits to get healthcare services that were postponed due to the pandemic," Johnson says. … Continued

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While the bill did win approval by the Appropriations Subcommittee this week, its future remains uncertain. Typically, bills that are advanced by Appropriations Subcommittees on Tuesdays are considered by the full Committee on Thursdays. However, the Labor-HHS-Education bill is not currently on the schedule, and Sen. Tom Harkin Chairman of the Subcommittee has said "there are no plans" for a full Committee markup. Some are speculating that, with the November elections looming, lawmakers are hoping to avoid the politically tough votes on amendments that come along with Labor-HHS-Education spending packages..Even if your income or assets are slightly higher than the guidelines, you should still apply. That's because certain kinds of resources may not be counted. States figure your income and assets differently, so you may be eligible in your state. When determining eligibility, your countable assets include checking or savings accounts, stocks and bonds. Your home, and one car, will not be counted..President Obama set off a firestorm of controversy announcing an ambitious set of "executive actions" to protect illegal immigrants from deportation. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office recently released a report confirming that many of those affected by the policy changes would be eligible for Social Security, Medicare and a wide array of federal benefits. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about executive action on immigration and how it affects Social Security and Medicare: … Continued