This week, The Senior Citizens League's Board of Trustees traveled to Capitol Hill to host a Welcome Reception and to meet with several lawmakers and their top aides. In addition, Members of the Senate overwhelmingly voted to confirm Marilyn Tavenner as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and three key bills gained critical support..For more information about town hall meetings near you during this week's holiday recess, call the local offices of your Members of Congress. For contact information, click HERE..This week, the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act gained three new cosponsors in Representatives Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, and Earl Blumenauer, bringing the total up to thirteen. If signed into law, H.R. 2575 would simplify the Medicare enrollment process and increase efforts to educate those nearing eligibility about the program and the application process..Your decision on when to enroll in Medicare depends on two factors: 1.) your age or disability and, 2.) the size of your husband's employer. You are first eligible to enroll at 65, but if your husband's employer has over 20 full time employees then you would be able to delay enrollment in Medicare while your husband is still working and he continues to have health coverage through his employer. Once the employment or coverage ends you have 8 months to sign up for Part B without penalty during a Special Enrollment Period..TSCL recommends that anyone unsure of how the provision may affect you should talk with the human resources director of your former employer or union through which you receive benefits. To learn more about TSCL's legislative work read the weekly legislative updates; or to learn more about TSCL's key issues, please visit..Though the special deficit committee on deficit reduction failed to reach an agreement last week, it appears that the Super Committee was successful in shaping the discussion for future Medicare savings. "Premium support" refers to a plan in which Medicare would subsidize premiums charged by private insurers that care for beneficiaries under government contract. Experts suggest this plan is gaining support. "This is an idea that could easily resurface in the future as Congress seeks additional Medicare savings for deficit reduction," said Patricia Neuman, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation..On Monday, the White House held its Conference on Aging, which occurs once every decade with the purpose of discussing and advancing initiatives that will improve the lives of older Americans. Several members of the Obama Administration were present at Monday's event, and President Obama himself gave remarks on the challenges facing seniors today..Thus, we are watching to see how this Administration would do things differently this time. In addition, there are concerns on the Canadian side about the timing. Canada is concerned this could cause drug shortages, particularly for drugs used to treat COVID-19 further exacerbating tensions with one of our nation's closest allies and trading partner..Increasing the payroll tax cap. Currently, the amount of earnings subject to payroll tax is 7,200, and the Social Security payroll tax is not applied to annual income over that amount. In a recent survey of TSCL's members, 73% said they would like to see the 6.2 percent payroll tax applied to all earnings in order to increase the solvency of the program.

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And it could be worse if inflation is lower and Medicare Part B premiums are higher. Due to a special provision of law known as the Social Security hold harmless provision, when the dollar amount of the Medicare Part B premium increase is greater than the dollar amount of an individual's COLA, the Medicare Part B premium is adjusted to prevent a reduction in Social Security benefits from December of the previous year. Those affected by hold harmless wind up with no growth in their net Social Security benefit after the deduction for Part B premiums. That leaves nothing extra left over to deal with other rising costs such as housing and drug costs..However, right now there is no guarantee Republicans would do that, and instead, it is probable they would blame the Medicare cuts on the Democrats..Two Key Medicare Bills Gain Support … Continued

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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?.Medicare Part B premiums were found to be the fastest growing cost for seniors, increasing by 195 percent over the eighteen-year period. Average out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs followed closely behind, increasing by 188 percent. Meanwhile, between 2000 and 2018 the COLA increased Social Security benefits by only 46 percent..The panel discussed the following options for strengthening Social Security, among others: updating the benefit formula for low-income workers, modifying the annual cost-of-living adjustment to make it more accurate, increasing survivors' benefits, and creating caregiver credits for those who support aging parents. However, the focus of Wednesday's hearing seemed to be on addressing the insolvency of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. … Continued

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