This week, one House subcommittee met to discuss the Social Security benefits of public servants like teachers, police officers, and firefighters. In addition, The Senior Citizens League announced its support for one new bill..The earliest age at which people can retire is age 6But that's about the worst age to retire. When people retire prior to "full" retirement age, their benefits are reduced, by as much as 30% depending on age. Full retirement age is the age at which retirees qualify for full, un-reduced benefits. That age varies, depending on when you were born, and people need to take action to confirm their full retirement age. Waiting until age 70 allows retirees to maximize their benefit by taking advantage of a delayed retirement credit of 8% per year..Of the respondents, 19% said they had used bleach on food, 18% said they had applied household cleaners to their skin, 10% said they had misted themselves with disinfectant sprays, 6% had inhaled vapors from the cleaners, and 4% had drunk or gargled diluted bleach solutions, soapy water, or other disinfectants..Since the Social Security Administration announced the 2013 benefit boost last fall, fuel, food and healthcare costs have steadily climbed. U.S. households that heat with oil are expected to pay nearly 20 percent more this winter compared to last year. Homes that rely on oil heat will pay an average of 7 more this winter according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration..Providers would have to give patients information on their network status, costs of out-of-network care, options for in-network providers, and other insurance requirements generally 72 hours before an appointment. The notice would have to clearly state that consent is optional, and that the patient could seek care from an in-network provider.."Americans Make Hard Choices on Social Security: A Survey With Trade-Off Analysis," National Academy of Social Insurance, October 2014..Last year the Senate was a bigger problem when dealing with passing legislation but there still may be hope this year for a bi-partisan bill authored by Senators Ron Wyden and Chuck Grassley. "The bill would cap seniors' drug costs and penalize drugmakers for raising prices too fast - a provision that many Republicans have likened to price controls. It would save the government a projected billion over a decade, far less than the 0 billion-plus under the House negotiation bill," according to Politico..The decision can be abrupt and arbitrary. A home health worker tells you, "Your husband isn't getting any better, we've done all we can do, and now we can't continue services, because Medicare isn't going to pay for it.".Tim Kaine is a United States Senator from Virginia. In the Senate he is a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He is one of 30 people in American history to have served as a Mayor, Governor, and United States Senator.
