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This week, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the state of the trust funds, and one key bill gained critical support..So, as we told you back on Sept. 29, "Don't Bet on 0 Drug Discount Card Just Yet.".Born and raised in Minnesota, Larry Madison moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1987 with his family to pursue a career as a copywriter and account executive at The Viguerie Company, a nationally known political fund-raising firm. After three years at TVC, he left to become head of fund raising for the American Defense Institute, and then for the American Security Council, both non-profit organizations involved in supporting a strong national defense..Only last year the Comptroller General of the United States, David Walker, warned Congress about this very thing saying, "Doing nothing, means that we are going to head to a precipitous decline in benefits. Remember the Notch Baby problem? This would be a Notch Baby problem magnified multiple times and it should not be allowed to happen.".New claims must be filed online and, to reach telephone assistance, one has to have the patience to wade through tedious automated menus, which can have long 24 -hour waits for return calls. Local Social Security offices can be so packed that it's standing room only. All this is coming home to roost for people who have middle to low incomes, and who can't afford the fees of professional retirement advisors. Too many people retire too soon, leaving substantial amounts of retirement income behind. That makes it all the more difficult to maintain one's standard of living later on in retirement..Gives you Special Enrollment Periods to enroll or change plans during the year outside of the fall Open Enrollment period..First, one new cosponsor Representative Steve Cohen signed on to the Creating Access to Rehabilitation for Every Senior Act, bringing the total up to five. If adopted, this bipartisan bill would improve access to affordable long-term care by eliminating the three-day prior hospitalization requirement that currently limits Medicare's coverage of patient stays in skilled nursing facilities..With just days remaining before the looming deadline, TSCL will be keeping a close eye on the evolving omnibus bill. If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement in time, the federal government would once again shut down, and Social Security beneficiaries could see delays in their monthly checks. In addition, reimbursements for doctors who treat Medicare patients could be interrupted. For updates on the progress of the omnibus over the next few days, visit our page on Facebook, or our new account on Twitter..This week, seven new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security 2100 Act, bringing the total up to eighty-four. The new cosponsors are: Reps. Luis Gutierrez, Marc Veasey, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chellie Pingree, Joyce Beatty, and Peter DeFazio.