CMS Administrator Seema Verma also said that CMS is working to guarantee a free vaccine for Medicaid and private insurance members as well..Medicare Part B premiums are expected to stay at 4 per month in 2018, leaving people like Barbara facing a big premium increase. The 4 premium is per month more than she paid this year, and more than what Barbara expects to get from her COLA in 201That means her Part B premium will be adjusted again to prevent reduction in her benefits. As much as that protection is appreciated, Barbara is frustrated about high Medicare premium costs after years of low or no COLA growth. "It's been 36 months since I've had any raise in my net operating Social Security, but my actual household costs continue to go up," Barbara says. "This isn't fair to retirees," she adds..On Wednesday, Congressman Jimmy Duncan introduced the CPI for Seniors Act, and TSCL announced its support for it shortly thereafter. The bill, if signed into law, would mandate the formulation and publication of a new Consumer Price Index specifically for seniors with the purpose of establishing a more fair and accurate cost-of-living adjustment..Despite resistance from some lawmakers, appropriators in the House and Senate say that their work on the "cromnibus" is continuing. According to Harold Rogers, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, negotiations are "on schedule," and the bill should come to the floor by early next week. If it fails to get the necessary votes, lawmakers will likely adopt a continuing resolution to provide the government with short-term funding. At this point, leaders are saying that a government shutdown is not something that they're willing to consider..Federal law prohibits the two Social Security trust funds from borrowing or transferring payroll taxes from one program to the other without Congressional action. While such action has been taken 11 times in the past to temporarily avert a Social Security funding shortfall, a TSCL poll conducted in July of last year found that less than 1 percent of participants say that shifting revenues from one trust fund to another would be the best way to fix the program..By Representative Cheri Bustos.This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate continued working on legislation that would comprehensively reform the tax code. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw support grow for one key bill that would comprehensively reform the prescription drug industry..What you propose is an interesting concept. It would be possible to design such cost of living adjustment option in several different ways. For example, the COLA could be calculated based on the national average retiree benefit in the current year. This amount could be adjusted using the current method the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or the use of a seniors' consumer price index such as the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. The law could even add a provision that the COLA would never be lower than a certain amount - such as 3%..Editor's note: We regret the passing of Representative Elijah E. Cummings, who died October 17, 201He will be remembered for many things, including his stand on cutting high healthcare costs for American families.

Blog Majority Of Us Congress Is Former State Legislators

For the past two years, nearly 160 million Americans have enjoyed a two percent Social Security payroll tax holiday, which has resulted in approximately 0 in annual tax relief in the form of higher paychecks for the average worker. The measure was passed in 2010 in an effort to stimulate the sluggish economy, and it has been extended twice since then. But the popular tax cut is set to expire on the first of January, and for four key reasons, The Senior Citizens League is urging Congress to let the tax holiday come to an end..Second, every two years, the Taskforce will submit a report to Congress outlining trends and innovations that are impacting the investment for senior investors. This will keep a cop on the beat to make sure we keep up with changes in financial scams. The report will also include recommendations for changes to rules of the SEC or other organizations, and any legislative actions needed to resolve senior investors' problems..Under traditional Medicare, most people need to buy a supplemental Medigap policy to cover Medicare's considerable out-of-pocket costs, and need to enroll in a private Part D plan for drug coverage. Medicare Advantage plans receive a lump-sum from Medicare to provide enrollees with all Medicare Part A and Part B benefits and usually have lower premiums than Medigap insurance. Many of the plans also provide drug coverage and are popular for providing a range of additional services that Medicare doesn't cover, such as discounts on eyeglasses or dental care. The most critical differences between Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans are in the out-of-pocket costs required and, access to doctors and other healthcare providers. … Continued

Provisional Ballots

Like Senators Klobuchar, McCain, and Grassley, TSCL enthusiastically supports efforts by the administration to reduce prescription drug costs, and we hope to see the White House move forward on executive actions that would allow for prescription drug importation. In the meantime, we will continue to advocate on Capitol Hill for legislation like the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act and the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act, both of which would go a long way in reducing prescription drug costs for older Americans..Alexandria, VA - August 20, 2012 -- A new immigration policy recently launched by the Obama Administration could backfire when senior voters head for the polls this fall. Seventy-seven percent of Senior Americans do not agree with the new "deferred action" immigration policy, according to a new poll conducted by The Senior Citizens League,one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. "The new policy would provide as many as 1.2 million illegal immigrants with a path to Social Security benefits and add huge new future liabilities to the program," says TSCL Chairman Larry Hyland.."We continue to see this as a critical public health tool," CDC Director Robert Redfield said. Responding to questions about large public gathers of unmasked people, he stated that, "obviously we're very concerned that our public health message isn't resonating." … Continued

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