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Rather than cutting back on one or two drugs, there was a large group that stopped filling most if not all their prescriptions as copays went up..This week, Members of one Senate Appropriations Subcommittee approved a spending bill that would fund the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs through fiscal year 201In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw three key bills gain support..About four million seniors born from 1917 through 1926, commonly referred to as "Notch Babies," would receive their choice of a ,000 lump-sum payable in four annual installments, or higher monthly Social Security benefits. The legislation, known as "The Notch Fairness Act" seeks to correct a disparity in benefits caused the last time Congress overhauled the benefit formula in 1977, that began to affect seniors who started to retire just two years later..In her new role as CMS administrator, Verma will report to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who has authored several Medicare reform plans in recent years. His proposals would increase the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 while adopting a "premium support" model, where beneficiaries would be given vouchers from the federal government to purchase private health insurance..Tax Planning? Medical Expense Deduction Becomes Less Generous in 2019.TSCL opposes these new provisions because we feel strongly that seniors should not be required to cover the cost of the poor policy-making decisions that were made by Congress nearly twenty years ago, when lawmakers first created the SGR. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare beneficiaries will automatically contribute billion in Part B premiums over the next decade to repeal and replace the SGR. TSCL believes any additional cost-sharing including the two new provisions will be unduly harsh..What do you feel are Medicare's major problem areas, and how do you feel they should be addressed?.Most people don't realize how much money they give up by claiming benefits at age 6For example, consider a woman entitled to a monthly benefit of ,500 at her full retirement age of 6Assuming she lives to age 95 and receives cost-of-living adjustments of about 2.3%, she would receive 8,665 over the course of her retirement. Her final monthly benefit payment would be ,827..Social Security beneficiaries received a 2% cost-of-living adjustment this year, but most have seen their benefit increases completely offset by higher Medicare Part B premiums. Do you support legislation that would give older Americans a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA?