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This week, Members of Congress remained in their home states and districts to continue the fall recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill following the November elections to begin the lame duck session. Until then, most lawmakers will be attending local events and holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts..In a letter to Congressman Davis, Art Cooper Chairman of TSCL's Board of Trustees wrote: "According to a recent study completed by TSCL, Social Security beneficiaries have lost over 20 percent of their purchasing power since 2000. Those who are subjected to the WEP and the GPO have undoubtedly fallen even further behind. It is now more important than ever for Congress to address the inequities that have been created by the WEP and the GPO, and TSCL believes the Social Security Fairness Act is a fair and responsible solution.".In the final days of the holiday recess, many Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings and attending local events in their home states and districts. The Senior Citizens League encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions about the BCRA and its potential impact on older Americans, like the following two….How does divorce affect my Social Security benefits? I'm turning 6My ex - husband had much higher earnings than I did. His benefit is likely to be much higher than mine. He has remarried and is not retired yet. Would it advantageous for me to take a divorced spouse benefit based on his earnings, or better to wait for my own retirement benefit?.The high dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. It is associated with a stronger immune response following vaccination. Results from a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants showed that adults 65 years and older who received the high dose vaccine had 24% fewer influenza illnesses as compared to those who received the standard dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine has been approved for use in the United States since 200Learn more about high dose flu vaccine here..Consumers in the U.S. are used to have many choices when it comes to the products we buy. Usually that is a good thing. But sometimes it creates a dilemma in deciding which is the right one to get. It turns out that the problem of choice is creating concerns about which of the vaccines against the coronavirus we should take..Who will pay for President Trump's border wall with Mexico? It's looking increasingly unlikely that it will be Mexico, and that the money may instead come out of the Social Security benefits of older Americans. The President's very first budget for fiscal year 2018 contains a request to build a border wall with Mexico..The fact that there are actually two Social Security trust funds is important when you break down the numbers behind the trust funds' cash deficits. According to the Social Security Trustees' "intermediate" projections, the OASI trust fund would run a cash deficit of billion in 2010, and the DI trust fund a billion cash deficit..But in the meantime, beware of scams and identity theft attempts. Scammers are taking advantage of the confusion created by the transition, and reports of Medicare card scams are rampant. The two most important things to know: Medicare will not call or contact you for "information about your account," and the new card will not cost you anything.

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As you have experienced, one of the biggest appeals of Medicare Advantage plans are low, or sometimes no, premiums. However, you would still have deductibles to satisfy and co-payments for most, if not every service. In addition, plans are allowed to charge you an out-of-pocket maximum up to ,700 in 2019, an amount that varies and tends to grow each year. Under Medigap, your premiums are higher and, depending on the policy, can increase annually. On the other hand, covered out-of-pocket costs are minimal to nothing. Medicare Advantage is more affordable when you are healthy, but can cost significantly more per year if you require a lot of healthcare services..TSCL has long supported adding vision, dental and hearing benefits to Medicare, as well as supporting legislation to lower prescription drug prices. We are waiting to see what the final bills look like that come out of the House and Senate before we determine what kind of endorsement to give..Under current law, no legal guarantee to Social Security benefits exists, even for those who meet all required eligibility criteria. This means that Congress may enact unexpected benefit cuts or the Social Security Administration may pay reduced benefits if the necessary funds are unavailable. … Continued

Health Reform Perspective Questions About Essential Health Benefits
"In the event that you have the choice to get vaccinated, I'd encourage you to take the vaccine that you're given," John Brooks, the chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Covid-19 response, said at a briefing Friday.".Visit the customer service desk and request a refund of the overcharge. If you paid by credit card, make sure you have the card with you for a credit. This may resolve the problem. If it doesn't, contact your drug plan, tell them the problem, and request forms to file for claim reimbursement..Years later, those earnings records may be accessed when a non-citizen files a claim for Social Security benefits. … Continued

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