Health Conditions And Treatments Eat Healthy Desserts Chocolate Dipped Pretzel SticksThe Social Security COLA was created to protect the purchasing power of Social Security benefits received by older and disabled Americans, but the results of this new study show that seniors are failing to keep up with rising costs. In recent years, inflation and COLAs have been at record low levels, averaging just 1.2 percent per year since 20In 2018, Social Security beneficiaries received a COLA of 2 percent, yet most saw no increase at all in their net benefits due to substantially higher Medicare Part B premiums..According to Representative Roybal-Allard, almost 80 percent of those over the age of 80 suffer from hearing loss, which leads to serious injuries and health problems when left untreated. In addition, nearly 70 percent of older Americans currently have no dental insurance coverage. In a letter of endorsement, Art Cooper Chairman of TSCL's Board of Trustees wrote: "It is essential for older Americans to receive the preventive care and treatment that is needed to maintain their dignity and ensure good health in retirement … Your bill would improve access to care for millions of older Americans, and we believe it would go a long way in ensuring the retirement security senior citizens have earned and deserve.".TSCL supports a special provision of the Senate bill introduced by Senators Orrin Hatch and Marco Rubio. The provision would ban earnings from jobs worked illegally from being used to determine entitlement to Social Security benefits and for calculating the amount of initial benefits legislation that TSCL and TSCL's grassroots members have long supported. But the Senate bill does not close a related loophole in current law that allows older immigrants who received "non-work" Social Security numbers issued prior to 2004 to claim Social Security benefits without having ever received work authorization. … Continued
Patient Education Care Of Children Infant And Baby Care Choosing A Baby SitterUnder Medicare Part D, the government does not negotiate prices like it does for doctors' or hospital fees. Drug prices are established by the private insurers who run Part D drug plans. Those prices are based on what the plans negotiate with drug manufacturers and what drug plans want to make on the drugs in order to operate at a profit. Under current law, however, even when drug plans negotiate a rebate, the law does not require that plans pass the savings along to consumers..TSCL was pleased to see seven new cosponsors sign on to the bill this week, and we will continue to advocate for it on Capitol Hill through the remainder of the 114th Congress..When asked how they responded to rising prices for meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products, survey participants report reducing the amount that they consume of these foods and having to spend a larger portion of their budget on these items. "Most troubling of all, about 25 percent of survey participants reported they've gone without," Johnson says. … Continued
