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Sleep: Deep sleep helps the brain store and retain new facts and information. But the structural changes to our brain as we age interferes with the quality of our sleep. That in turn reduces our ability to store memories for the long term. To improve focus and memory, get better sleep. That's not always easy for people 65 and over, and there may be times when you need to speak to a doctor. The nonprofit Helpguide.org has tips on how to sleep better as we age..For progress updates or for more information about these and other bills that would strengthen Social Security and Medicare programs, visit the our website at, follow TSCL on Twitter or Facebook..One of the key issues discussed was the growing concern surrounding the possibility of the Totalization Agreement between the United States and Mexico being signed by the President. If this happens, Congress would have a limited amount of time to actually review the Agreement. If Congress decides not to take any action, the Agreement would automatically go into effect..About one-in-five persons have incomes so low they receive both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid benefits can include payment of Medicare Part B premiums and cost sharing. In addition, Medicaid covers benefits that are not covered by Medicare, including nursing home care, and the family caregiving program that is enabling your disabled son and your mom to live with you instead of in a nursing home..A person receiving the national average Social Security benefit in 2000 - 6 per month - would have ,226.60 per month by 201However, because retiree costs are rising at a substantially faster pace than the COLA, that individual would require a Social Security benefit of 7.90 more per month, or ,634.50 in 2019, just to maintain his or her 2000 level of buying power..By Jessie Gibbons, Senior Policy Analyst.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced that the standard Medicare Part B premium will be 8.50 in 2021, an increase of .90 per month from 4.60 in 2020. That increase, which I earlier feared would be considerably more, was restricted by legislation enacted last fall. But even with legislation to keep the Medicare Part B flat, the Part B premium still went up 2.6% over 2020, twice as much as the annual cost-of-living adjustment. This trend of Medicare costs increasing several times faster than Social Security benefits creates chronic headaches for retirees, as the Medicare Part B premium consumes a growing share of Social Security benefits..When the Social Security Administration received copies of the husband's W2 with the invalid Social Security number that didn't match the name and numbers on record, the Social Security Administration placed it a special file called the Earnings Suspense File. There it stays, and more are added every year until the reports can be matched with the worker. This can occur any time, even years later, when a claim is filed..TSCL also supports a second Notch Baby bill that Representative Emerson has introduced in the past - the Notch Baby Health Care Relief Act. That bill would provide a tax credit for the Part B premiums paid by Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926.