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Those participating in The Senior Citizens League's annual senior survey, which is still being conducted, confirm that monthly household expenses made steep increases over the past year, far in excess of the dollar amount that their COLAs increased benefits. The 2.8 percent COLA raised the average Social Security benefit of ,400 by about per month this year. Yet more than 78 percent of survey participants report that their household spending rose by more than .00 per month in 201"When costs climb more rapidly than benefits, retirees must spend down retirement savings more quickly than expected, and those without savings or other retirement income are either going into debt, or going without," Johnson says..In the meantime, to comply with the new health law, people need to continue to maintain health insurance or pay a fine, because the individual mandate is still in place. And unless Congress acts to repeal Obamacare in its entirety, insurers will still be required to provide coverage despite pre-existing conditions. The big question remains, however, how millions of people will be able to afford Obabmacare coverage if no subsidies are available..By U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger.TSCL Supports New Legislation.To learn how much COLA cuts would cost you, try TSCL's Chained COLA calculator..Patients and their families want to know if the medication will help slow the progression of cognitive decline, especially in view of the serious side effects it can cause, but doctors have no definitive answer yet. The rate and progression of cognitive decline varies widely among people who have started experiencing memory and thinking problems. Thus, it is difficult to quantify how much of a difference the drug would make for a given patient..The Velcro effect of anchoring can influence far more consequential decisions, in ways we may not even realize. Consider the process of determining the "right" retirement age:.An untested federal and state Medicare and Medicaid demonstration program is raising concerns that it affects too many low–income seniors, and is growing too fast. Enrollment has far exceeded early expectations and both provider, and advocacy groups are warning that its size would be hard to unwind if the demonstration fails to provide quality services and access to medically necessary services..Yet incredibly, despite the grim statistics, members of both parties are seeking common ground on deficit reduction, and COLAs remain the target of cuts. TSCL is fighting back and plans to deliver thousands of petitions protesting the cuts later this year.