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The BPC notes that this combination of lower revenues and higher program costs will shorten the solvency of the Social Security. Its blog points to past changes in Social Security solvency. In 2008, prior to the full impact of the Great Recession, Social Security Trustees estimated the Trust Fund would be depleted in 204By the time the recession had run its course, in 2012 high unemployment and sluggish economic growth had moved up the insolvency date to 2033..Medicare Extra Help helps pay for some, or most, of the out-of-pocket costs for Medicare prescription drug coverage. It is also known as the Part D "Low-Income" subsidy. Extra Help pays for the Part D premium up to a certain amount, lowers the cost of your prescription drugs, gives you special enrollment periods to switch plans, and eliminates the Part D late enrollment penalty if you did not enroll in Part D by your original deadline. If your income is under ,615 or ,175 and you have limited savings and resources, you might be eligible. Apply for Medicare Extra Help on the Social Security website.."Record low growth in Social Security benefits over the past seven years is contributing to the problem," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. Social Security recipients receive an annual cost of living adjustment in most years, to protect the buying power of benefits from rising prices when they retire. But since 2010, the annual raise has averaged just 1.2 percent - less than half the more typical 3 percent average from 1999 2009..I'm diabetic and get my blood testing supplies via mail order. When I called to order my next shipment I was told I would have to pay the full cost of supplies and my credit card was charged. I thought Medicare covered the cost..Rx for Medicare's Doctors' Pay Formula.This week, TSCL's Board of Trustees traveled to Washington, D.C. for their second meeting of 201TSCL's Board of Trustees includes the following members: Larry Hyland, Chairman; Tom O'Connell, Vice-Chairman; Charlie Flowers, Secretary; Edward Cates, Treasurer ; Michael Gales, PAC Treasurer; and Richard Delaney, President of TREThe Enlisted Association..TSCL's concern is not over taxes collected under valid Social Security numbers. The concern is over the use of earnings under invalid or fraudulent Social Security numbers to determine benefits. Earnings reported under invalid numbers most often occur when noncitizens work without legal authorization. Due to a loophole in current law, Social Security uses all earnings to determine benefits, even those from jobs worked under invalid and fraudulent Social Security numbers. Social Security thus pays benefits for the rest of the individual's life that may be based, at least in part, on work under fraudulent Social Security numbers. TSCL believes this policy rewards people for document fraud..If adopted, H.R. 448 would provide for the negotiation of lower covered Part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries and the establishment of a formulary by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under Medicare Part D..Alexandria, VA deadline is looming for more than 8.9 million disabled Social Security beneficiaries as well as 1.8 million of their children, warns The Senior Citizens League. So far Congress has not made public any long-term plan to head off a 20% cut of Social Security disability benefits that would occur in about two years. "All Social Security beneficiaries are waiting to learn how our newly elected lawmakers intend to remedy the situation," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates.