TSCL is pleased that lawmakers in Congress are finally making progress on a solution that would give public servants the retirement security they have earned and deserve. The bill currently has more than sixty cosponsors, with support on both sides of the aisle. Following the hearing, TSCL sent a letter to the subcommittee in support of it. In the months ahead, we will encourage lawmakers to sign on to the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act as cosponsors, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of this year..To do this, Larson's bill would increase the payroll tax rate gradually over 24 years through annual 0.1% increases, and it would also apply payroll taxes to all earnings instead of just the first 7,700..The program will ship roughly one million doses per week to about 6,500 pharmacies across the U.S. as a trial run, beginning Feb. 1They also will boost shipments to states by 5% to 10.5 million doses per week, up from the 10 million doses that were announced a week earlier..CMS Administrator Seema Verma also said that CMS is working to guarantee a free vaccine for Medicaid and private insurance members as well..Government Shutdown Continues for Fifth Week.We've heard stories about cutting back on prescriptions over the years, but recently I heard one about a diabetic who was forced to cut back on the amount of insulin that she needed to control blood sugar. She was going into debt to buy Lantus insulin. Cutting back, and not taking the recommended dosage to control her blood sugar, triggered severe nerve pain and sent the woman back to her doctor..Medicare Savings Programs cover the cost of the Medicare Part B premium, saving a person 8.50 per month in 202Depending on income, those with the lowest income may also qualify for additional benefits that cover the Part B deductible and out-of-pocket costs. People with incomes in 2020 of up to ,456 per month or ,960 might be eligible if they have limited savings and resources of ,860 or ,800. These limits are slightly higher for Hawaii and Alaska. This program is administered through state Medicaid programs and states may have guidelines that allow people with slightly higher income to enroll. If interested,contact your local Medicaid office to apply..Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced S. 1904 on July 30, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Finance..Alexandria, VA leading proposal to temporarily fix the looming insolvency of the Social Security disability trust fund by reallocating payroll taxes has virtually no support among seniors, according to a new poll by The Senior Citizens League. Less than one percent of seniors polled said shifting revenues from the Social Security retirement trust fund to pay disability benefits was the best way to fix the disability program's financing. "TSCL believes this 'band aid' approach will not be quietly tolerated this time around," says TSCL Chairman Ed Cates. "Today's senior voters have clear preferences for how they think lawmakers should address the disability program's funding shortfalls - reallocation of payroll taxes from the trust fund that pays retirement benefits is not one of them," Cates states.
