This week, TSCL saw support grow for three bills in the House and one bill in the Senate. First, two new cosponsors signed on to the bipartisan CREATES Act of 2017, bringing the total up to nine. The new cosponsors are Representative Carol Shea-Porter and Representative Francis Rooney. If signed into law, the bill would increase competition in the prescription drug industry by encouraging generic and biosimilar drug manufacturers to introduce their products to the market more quickly..Medicare considers observation care as outpatient services, even though patients may stay in the hospital for several days. Outpatient care is covered under Medicare Part B not under Part A, which normally covers hospital care. Patients can have co-payments for doctor's fees, and every hospital service. That includes charges for any routine drugs your mother may take for chronic conditions like high cholesterol..Social Security remains strong and solvent, but only for the next 17 years. After that, it faces a shortfall, only able to pay 75 percent of its promised benefits. Rather than breaking our promise to our seniors, and forcing retirees to shoulder benefit cuts that some have proposed across the board cuts, inadequate cost of living adjustments, and privatization Congress should instead work together to keep America's word and strengthen Social Security..Open enrollment for the exchanges begins October 1, 2013 for coverage starting January 1, 201To learn more, visit the new website. To get an idea about whether you qualify for a government subsidy visit the Kaiser Family Foundation's Subsidy Calculator..This week, Members of the Senate voted to confirm Sylvia Mathews Burwell as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw two key bills gain support..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..Alexandria, VMore than 90 percent of older Americans are likely to be making a secret Christmas wish for the New Year, says The Senior Citizens League. "That's to make ends meet," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. A national survey conducted by TSCL earlier this year found that 98 percent of Social Security recipients participating reported the annual cost-of-living adjustment had increased their Social Security benefits by less than a month in 2014, but 92 percent said their monthly expenses had increased by more than "That disparity between COLAs and rising costs is the 'Grinch that's stealing Christmas' for millions of older Americans this year," Cates says..We share this information with you as a reminder that TSCL does not get any money from the drug makers or any other corporate or major donors. We rely only on you, our supporters, for the funds that allow us to keeping fighting on your behalf to protect the benefits you paid for all of your working life: benefits you earned, you deserve and that you depend on..His renewed call for the cut comes only a few weeks after the annual reports regarding the financial stability of the Social Security and Medicare programs were issued by their respective boards of trustees. As we reported at the time, both programs are facing insolvency, albeit at different times.
