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Learn how to identify "fresh". Never let anyone try to convince you that limp or wilted greens and vegetables can be rejuvenated. When moisture loss and wilting occur after harvest, nutrients go with it in the process. Shop around for your produce and look for green markets that not only have reasonable prices, but high turn - over and produce from local growers ensuring that you get fresher choices..As our nation begins to deal with the problems of the long-term financing of Social Security, we face some very difficult decisions. To what extent should individuals be required to save for their own retirement and to what extent should the government provide for those who cannot or have not been able to save? Proposals for reform have yet to provide answers..Now Medicare Part A is facing insolvency once again, this time around 202Health policy experts are now proposing that the revenues raised by the 3.8% net investment income tax should be "re-directed" to the Part A Trust Fund rather than the federal government's general revenue..Social Security beneficiaries received a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment this year, but millions of older Americans with low benefits have seen their increases completely offset by higher Medicare Part B premiums. Do you support the Fair COLA for Seniors Act, which would give beneficiaries a more adequate Social Security COLA?.The effect tends to be tempered by the fact that the federal poverty level itself is adjusted for inflation every year, using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers. In most years the CPI-U grows slightly faster than the index used to adjust Social Security benefits, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Thus, it tends to keep pace with the COLA. But in 2020, the CPI-U grew more slowly than the COLA, growing just 1% instead of the CPI-W's 1.3%. Thus, SNAP benefits and many other types of benefits were reduced or even eliminated this year for some beneficiaries..Drug Makers Pour Huge Dollars into Campaigns.What do you feel are Medicare's major problem areas, and how do you feel they should be addressed?.During the debt limit negotiations, one of the most frequently discussed components of deficit reduction plans included a switch to the "chained" CPI. Such a proposal wouldn't just impact Social Security benefits; it would also reduce Railroad Retirement benefits, military retirement, and federal pension payouts as well as Supplemental Security Income payments received by very low-income seniors. In addition, seniors would also pay more in taxes since the CPI is also used to adjust tax brackets, the standard deduction, and personal exemptions..But the new policy could backfire with senior voters. According to a recent TSCL poll seventy-seven percent said they do not agree with the new "deferred action" immigration policy.

A Look At Recent Proposals To Control Drug Spending By Medicare And Its Beneficiaries
Under a restricted application, however, you could take just one or the other of the two benefits at 66, and then allow the other benefit to grow at 8% per year, until age 70. For example, depending on how much your own retirement benefit would be, you might file a restricted application for your own retirement benefit, and then let your larger spouse benefit grow to the maximum, switching to it at age 70. Or, if by allowing your own retirement benefit to grow would yield a higher benefit, you could instead file a restricted application for just the ex- spouse benefit at 66, and then switch to your own higher benefit at age 70. You will need professional help to make this determination. The extra money you receive using this strategy accumulates over a typical retirement, and can mean a significantly higher benefit when you are older and need it the most..On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved a 6.8 billion fiscal 2015 spending bill by a voice vote. The bill provides funding to a wide range of health and education programs, and it also covers the administrative expenses of Social Security and Medicare. The Labor-HHS-Education bill is the largest domestic appropriations bill, accounting for nearly one-third of all non-defense discretionary spending.. … Continued

Issue Brief Under The Radar States Vary In Regulating And Reporting Covid 19 In Assisted Living Facilities
The BCRA, the "repeal-and-replace" bill that lawmakers have been working on for several weeks, was defeated on Tuesday night with a vote of 43 5The ORRA, the "repeal-and-delay" bill, was defeated with a vote of 45 55 on Wednesday afternoon. And the "skinny repeal" bill which would have repealed a few of the ACA's most controversial provisions was defeated early Friday morning with a vote of 49 51, just two hours after the text of the bill was revealed. The critical "no" votes came from three Republican Senators: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and John McCain..In the House, Representative Kevin McCarthy will take over the top post House Minority Leader for Republicans next year. Representative Steve Scalise will become the Minority Whip, and Representative Liz Cheney will hold the position of House Republican Conference Chairwoman. House Democrats, who will take over the majority in the House next year, will hold their leadership elections on November 28th, following the Thanksgiving recess..Next week on January 24th the Senate Finance Committee will be holding a formal confirmation hearing to question Congressman Price. TSCL will be monitoring discussions about the ACA and the future of the Medicare program, and we will post a summary of the hearing here in the Legislation News section of our website. … Continued