Rep. Matt Cartwright represents Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District, which includes Schuylkill County and portions of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, and Northampton Counties. Cartwright serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform..One of the first tax cuts to expire under the recent tax law is likely to disproportionately affect older taxpayers and others with the highest healthcare costs starting in 2019, says The Senior Citizens League. "The medical expense deduction will become less generous in 2019, and that is likely to affect older taxpayers, because they tend to have high medical expenses," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. "A less generous healthcare cost deduction could mean higher taxable income next year," she cautions..Alexandria, VA deadline is looming for more than 8.9 million disabled Social Security beneficiaries as well as 1.8 million of their children, warns The Senior Citizens League. So far Congress has not made public any long-term plan to head off a 20% cut of Social Security disability benefits that would occur in about two years. "All Social Security beneficiaries are waiting to learn how our newly elected lawmakers intend to remedy the situation," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates..Currently, Social Security COLAs are based on the CPI-W, which tracks the spending patterns of young, urban workers. This index underestimates the inflation that seniors experience since it fails to capture the medical and housing costs that many spend most of their incomes on. TSCL estimates that a CPI for seniors would put the annual COLA at two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the CPI-W. Over the course of a retirement, this would amount to several thousands of dollars more in Social Security benefits..If you are under full retirement age for all of 2009, the Social Security Administration will withhold in benefits for every in earnings over ,160 for the year or ,180 per month. People who turn full retirement age in 2009 may earn more. The Social Security Administration will deduct in benefits for every over ,680 for the year or ,140 per month. The amount that you are allowed to earn is adjusted annually. Once you reach full retirement age, you may receive your benefits with no limit on the amount you can earn..Because of the deficit projections some members of Congress have once again, raised the issue of balancing the federal budget on the backs of senior citizens..Long-term care insurance, however, has its shortcomings. It's."Medicare is also in the cross - hairs for massive changes," Johnson says. The budget resolution stipulates major changes that would focus Medicare on a system of private insurers, and provide beneficiaries with premium subsidies to shop for their own health insurance. A Congressional Budget Office report has found that similar proposals in the past would shift a growing portion of costs to older Americans. In that 2013 report, the CBO estimated that Medicare beneficiaries' premiums would be about 30 percent higher by 2020 than under current law..Why Does My Doctor's Office Need to Call My Insurer Before Scheduling a CT Scan?
