The adjuvanted flu vaccine is made with MF59 adjuvant, an additive that can create a stronger immune response to vaccination. In a recent review of multiple vaccine trials, older adults who received a MF59-adjuvated vaccine had a significantly higher immune response than those who received a standard flu vaccine, The adjuvanted vaccine was available for the first time in the United States during the 2016-2017 flu season. Learn more about adjuvanted flu vaccine here..Congressional CornerCongressional Corner: Protecting Against A New Wave of Senior Scams Congressional Corner: Rebuilding the Economy Needs to Include Mobility for Senior Citizens Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions That Need to be Fixed Congressional Corner: We Can Ensure Social Security and Medicare Work. There Are Ways to do Both! Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Medicare Should Protect Your Teeth Too! Congressional Corner: Legislation Would Abolish Two Provisions That Reduce Social Security Benefits of Public Employees Congressional Corner: Planning for the Future Congressional Corner: Capping Drug Costs Could Negatively Impact Rural Health Care Systems Congressional Corner: Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Should Never Be a Partisan Issue Congressional Corner: Mediocre For All. Rural Healthcare's Road Trip to Ruin Congressional Corner: To Stay Healthy And Enjoy Retirement Means Protecting Earned Benefits and Cutting Drug Prices Congressional Corner: Two Bills That Would Bring Down High Prescription Drug Costs Congressional Corner: We Cannot Cut Medicare and Medicaid Congressional Corner: As Congress Fights Robocalls, Take Steps to Protect Yourself Congressional Corner: Fighting Back Against Senior Scammers Congressional Corner: It's Time to Tackle the High Cost of Prescription Drugs Congressional Corner: We Need Competition In Prescription Drug Pricing and to Stop Abusive Conduct That Keep Drug Costs High Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to Get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions Unfairly Penalize Millions of Teachers, Firefighters and Public Sector Workers.Retirees frequently say that their annual cost-of-living adjustment does not adequately keep pace with rising costs. To learn if this is the case, this study, now in its eleventh year, looks at 40 expenditures that are typical for people age 65 and up, comparing the growth in the prices of those goods and services, to the growth in COLAs..If signed into law, the Social Security Fairness Act would amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision..If signed into law, the CPI-E Act would amend the Social Security Act with regard to annual cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Currently, the COLA is based upon the spending patterns of young, urban workers, but Rep. DeFazio's bill would require that COLAs be based upon the way seniors spend their money. The COLA that seniors currently receive does not accurately reflect how they must spend their money, and TSCL estimates that a senior who retired with average benefits in 1984 would have received ,723.16 more through 2011 had the CPI-E been used. We are very supportive of Rep. DeFazio's bill, and we were pleased to see one new cosponsor sign on this week..It's helpful to think of age 70 as the retirement age to get the maximum benefit that you are entitled to. Not only does your benefit grow 8% per year, but the additional years of work could potentially boost the amount of your initial retirement benefit. By continuing to work you also give yourself more time to contribute to retirement accounts and pay off home mortgages, and you reduce the length of time or amount you will need to withdraw from your retirement accounts. That can make a big difference on how well you can live and thrive in retirement..Drug Discount Card May be Illegal.The OIG did not estimate the amount that the 11,179 collected in benefits in 2014, no doubt because privacy laws prevent the Social Security Administration from sharing that information. TSCL's Social Security policy analyst and Advisor editor Mary Johnson, however, estimates that this group of auxiliary beneficiaries may have received more than 5 million in benefits in 2014, based on current Social Security statistical data. TSCL agrees with the OIG, and believes that with Social Security in deficit, the Social Security Administration must do more to prevent improper payments..For more information about town hall meetings near you during this week's holiday recess, call the local offices of your Members of Congress. For contact information, click HERE.
