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On Wednesday, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee met to discuss reform of the Medicare physician payment system with a panel of five experts. The hearing, entitled "Using Innovation to Reform Medicare Physician Payment," focused on ideas from the private sector..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..Yet even a "limited approach" like this one could create huge new long-term costs for Social Security and Medicare. Citizenship is not a requirement to claim Social Security benefits. Work authorization, like the type under discussion in the House, is all that immigrants would need to at some point file claims..TSCL does not give money to campaigns for political office and in one way that puts us at a disadvantage as compared with the big corporations. But we have something they do not have: YOU..The Biden administration announced last week that it will begin distributing a limited number of Covid-19 vaccine doses directly to retail pharmacies across the nation..People who are already retired, or close to it, aren't able to make adjustments to retirement plans if benefits are abruptly cut..Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Ensuring a fair, accurate, and guaranteed COLA.."Improving adult access to vaccines can save thousands of lives and billions of dollars. The health care costs associated with low adult vaccine rates are high - each year, the U.S. spends billion treating Medicare beneficiaries alone for four vaccine-preventable diseases. Cost-sharing and co-pays for vaccinations recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices were removed for all Affordable Care Act compliant private plans in 2010; however, Medicare beneficiaries were left out of this change and can still face high out-of-pocket costs for vaccinations.".Social Security and Medicare are promises to our seniors we cannot break. Seniors need to know they can trust their guaranteed benefits earned through hard work will not change.

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TSCL believes that the Medicare prescription drug benefit law is flawed, and will be carefully monitoring the effects of both the short-term Medicare drug cards, and the Medicare Drug Benefit plan in Medicare Part D as it traverses through the donut hole for many seniors. TSCL considers it necessary to compile feedback on the measure of success or failure of the program and its donut hole phase..Also this week, seventeen new cosponsors signed on to Rep. Rodney Davis's Social Security Fairness Act, bringing the total up to thirty-eight. In addition, one new cosponsor signed on to Sen. Mark Begich's Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, bringing the total to four. Both bills, if signed into law, would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision two provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. TSCL firmly believes that the GPO and the WEP should be repealed immediately so that dedicated public servants receive the retirement security they deserve. H.R. 1795 and S. 896 would do just that, and we were pleased to see eighteen new cosponsors announce their support this week..Members of Congress may lose an election but unlike other Americans, they never lose their retirement and health benefits. A Member of the House or Senate who retires at age 60 after just 12 years in office will receive a Congressional pension of ,000 a year and lifetime benefits that could total more than 0,000.Notch Bulletin: How Long Have Notch Babies Been Underpaid? I was born during the Notch period. I would like to know how long Notch Babies have been underpaid. In addition could you tell me if the underpayment has been corrected and if we are receiving the right amount now? - M.R. Fort Cobb, OK … Continued

Care Should You Get The Covid 19 Vaccine

The findings represent a significant one-year loss of 4 percentage points in buying power, with the loss increasing from 30% to 34% from January 2017 to January 201The loss occurred even though beneficiaries received a 2% annual cost-of-living adjustment for 201Housing and medical costs - particularly for home heating expenses and Medigap premiums - were among the most rapidly-rising costs over the past year. The study examines the growth, since 2000, in the price of goods and services that are typical for retired and disabled households, and compares that to the growth in Social Security benefits due to annual COLAs..For frequent updates on the status of the spending bill, visit our pages on Facebook or Twitter..Center for Disease Control says Face Coverings Remain Key … Continued