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Social Security benefit "boost" legislation under consideration in the House not only would boost benefits by about per month on average, it also includes a provision that would allow senior taxpayers to keep more of their money. Under current law, up to 50% of Social Security benefits are taxable when the sum of the recipients' modified adjusted gross income, plus half of Social Security benefits, exceeds ,000 for a couple filing jointly, or ,000 for a single taxpayer. As much as 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxable when the income is above ,000 for joint filers, or ,000 single filers. Revenues from the taxation of Social Security benefits flow to the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds, and go towards the financing of benefits..Republican lawmakers are voicing deep skepticism about passing another round of ,200 rebate checks as they contemplate the next and possibly final stage of coronavirus relief legislation..For more information on the Social Security Fairness Act, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. To stay updated on its progress in Congress, follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..The Senior Citizens League believes Congress must address the loss of buying power by adopting the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act. If signed into law, H.R. 1251 would base the COLA on the more fair and adequate CPI-E. Currently, COLAs are based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, and they fail to keep pace with the inflation experienced by older Americans since goods like gasoline and electronics are weighted more heavily than health care and housing costs..That doesn't mean that a budget agreement is completely out of the question or the much more unlikely scenario that Congress won't get paid. The No Budget No Pay Act holds Congressional paychecks in escrow, and, by law, will release the funds either when a budget agreement is reached, or on the last day of the 113th Congress, which ends on December 31, 2014..The Chairman rightly pointed out that Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and other online drug tracking systems can ensure that patients are only receiving the drugs they need. Senator Michael Bennet agreed that digital record keeping databases can help limit opioid prescriptions, and cited his new bill that would mandate electronic prescribing for all opioid medications prescribed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries..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..Consumer Reports makes a good point. When you stick with the higher costing brand, the entire cost of the drug under that plan will apply towards your initial coverage limit, pushing you toward the doughnut hole coverage gap. That raises the chance you will use up your limit before the year's end and you'll pay half the cost of the brand name drug in the doughnut hole, and 79% on any generics. You may want to ask your doctor to prescribe the generic version of the drug whenever available..The proposal to adopt the chained CPI for adjusting Social Security and other federal retirement benefits has been a central feature of nearly every major budget negotiation since 20The adoption of the chained CPI to calculate COLAs would not only permanently reduce Social Security benefits of more than 60 million beneficiaries, but would also increase taxes, because personal exemptions and tax brackets which are adjusted for inflation would rise more slowly.