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In 2012, the GPO reduced, by nearly two-thirds, the Social Security benefits of nearly 600,000 surviving spouses who also collect a government pension. Nine out of 10 public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for years..CPI Data Through August 2012, Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 14, 201Social Security Monthly Statistical Snapshot, Social Security Administration, July, 2012..Seventy - nine percent of older Americans think the highest -earning workers should be paying Social Security taxes on all of their wages, just like other workers do, according to recent survey by The Senior Citizens League. "The issue is a top priority with older voters, many of whom are outraged at recent legislative proposals to cut Social Security benefits and cost-of-living adjustments," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for TSCL..Despite the coronavirus emergency, TSCL is continuing its fight for you to protect your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. We have had to make some adjustments in the way we carry on our work, but we have not, and will not stop our work on your behalf..Flag recurring costs: Flag costs that you have on a regular basis like premiums, prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, and supplements. These you can automatically figure into your monthly budget..Even when you spend ,000 out-of-pocket, there are still out-of-pocket costs. At the catastrophic level of coverage there are smaller co-pays or 5% coinsurance, which can further lead to substantial out-of-pocket spending. In 2015, for example, Part D enrollees with out-of-pocket costs above the catastrophic threshold comprised just 2 percent of all enrollees, but their spending totaled 20 percent of enrollees' total out-of-pocket spending for the year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation..In the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the first generation of drugs was mediocre at best, he said. As scientists learned more about the virus and the disease it causes, the medicines became more effective. That may be a model for what we are going to have here. We may not get the best vaccine up front. But hopefully it will be good enough and will be replaced later by better vaccines. We have may just have to live with that until we get a better one..But we all must face the reality that unless we continue the safety measures of masks and handwashing, this will get worse..-- in particular - Social Security benefits. The 3.6% COLA is the first after two years without any increase. "Here's the bottom line," says Larry Hyland, Chairman of TSCL. "Is your Social Security benefit higher or lower in 2012 after deducting your Medicare premiums?"