TSCL supports the "No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act" introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher which would ban the use of earnings for jobs worked while illegal to be used to determine entitlement..Also this week, two new cosponsors signed on to Rep. Allyson Schwartz's Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act. Reps. Tim Walz and Eliot Engel signed on, bringing the cosponsor total up to twenty-six..Calculating the COLA in this manner would remove more of the uncertainty in years of economic recession and high unemployment and it would reflect inflation two ways - the growth in average wages which determine the average benefit, as well as the growth in prices. The national average Social Security benefit tends to rise most years, because new people coming onto the rolls tend to have higher wages than people who retired ahead of them. Indexing using this method would still tend to ensure a small boost to benefits even in years when inflation is so low that no COLA is payable..To offset the increased spending, the proposal calls for approximately 0 billion in health care savings, with most coming from within the Medicare program. Under the President's plan, more beneficiaries would be subject to means testing and they would see higher premiums for Parts B and D. In addition, new beneficiaries would need to pay a copayment on home health care services, and they would also be faced with a surcharge on premiums for Medigap plans..TSCL surveys have found that there is no public support for benefit cuts. On the other hand, 79% support eliminating the taxable maximum cap on earnings so that the highest paid workers pay Social Security taxes on all of their income, not just part of it as they do today.."Obamacare Victims Are 'Liars' Says Top Democrat," Edward Morrissey, The Fiscal Times, February 27, 201Letter to The President, from House leadership, concerning Medicare Advantage cuts, February 13, 201Letter to Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, from 40 Senators, concerning Medicare Advantage cuts, February 14, 2014..TSCL agrees, and we fear that if triggered, the IPAB's recommendations could lead to higher costs for seniors or decreased access to quality medical care. We are enthusiastic supporters of Rep. Roe's bill, and we were pleased to see it win passage in the House this week..Find low-cost vet services in your community Non-profit humane societies and SPCAs often organize low-cost vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and sometimes other services. Call your local animal shelter to find out if there's a program in your area..While budget resolutions don't have the force of law, the agreements set out the U.S. fiscal year budget and serve as a blueprint for subsequent legislation. The House resolution also includes reconciliation instructions for the GOP's tax reform plan, but the resolution has been stalled due to disagreements over mandatory spending that includes Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid among others.
