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This week, five new cosponsors signed on to Rep. Mike McIntyre's Notch Fairness Act, bringing the total up to seventeen. The new cosponsors are: Reps. William Enyart, Betty McCollum, Collin Peterson, Don Young, and Jim Himes. If signed into law, Rep. McIntyre's bill would provide modest compensation to Notch babies, or those who receive lower Social Security benefits because they were born between the years 1917 and 192TSCL believes that some compensation for this injustice should be provided, and the Notch Fairness Act would do just that..Congressional CornerCongressional Corner: Protecting Against A New Wave of Senior Scams Congressional Corner: Rebuilding the Economy Needs to Include Mobility for Senior Citizens Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions That Need to be Fixed Congressional Corner: We Can Ensure Social Security and Medicare Work. There Are Ways to do Both! Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Medicare Should Protect Your Teeth Too! Congressional Corner: Legislation Would Abolish Two Provisions That Reduce Social Security Benefits of Public Employees Congressional Corner: Planning for the Future Congressional Corner: Capping Drug Costs Could Negatively Impact Rural Health Care Systems Congressional Corner: Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Should Never Be a Partisan Issue Congressional Corner: Mediocre For All. Rural Healthcare's Road Trip to Ruin Congressional Corner: To Stay Healthy And Enjoy Retirement Means Protecting Earned Benefits and Cutting Drug Prices Congressional Corner: Two Bills That Would Bring Down High Prescription Drug Costs Congressional Corner: We Cannot Cut Medicare and Medicaid Congressional Corner: As Congress Fights Robocalls, Take Steps to Protect Yourself Congressional Corner: Fighting Back Against Senior Scammers Congressional Corner: It's Time to Tackle the High Cost of Prescription Drugs Congressional Corner: We Need Competition In Prescription Drug Pricing and to Stop Abusive Conduct That Keep Drug Costs High Congressional Corner: It's Time for Seniors to Get a Fair COLA Congressional Corner: Two Social Security Provisions Unfairly Penalize Millions of Teachers, Firefighters and Public Sector Workers.TSCL will keep a close eye on the fiscal 2016 budget resolution as it moves through the Senate in the coming days, and we will continue to voice our concerns about cuts to the Medicare program that would result in higher costs for beneficiaries. For updates on its movement, visit our new Facebook page..The riskiest one-third of patients were 280.6% more likely to drop cardiovascular drugs than the bottom two-thirds; there were similar results for those at high risk of diabetic and pulmonary complications..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..While benefits scheduled in the law for OASI [Old Age and Survivors Insurance] and DI [Disability Insurance] are obligations, such obligations can only be met to the extent that asset reserves are available in the OASI and DI Trust Funds. The law does not provide authority for the trust funds to borrow in order to pay benefits beyond the limited authority for "advance tax transfers.".Simply setting government spending limits and putting seniors at greater risk for rising costs does nothing to slow rising healthcare costs. TSCL is sharing the results of our recent 2011 Advisor Senior Survey on healthcare costs and the inadequacy of COLAs to cover rising costs in our visits with Members of Congress. We encourage you to contact your Members of Congress and describe your Medicare and other out-of-pocket costs and what portion of your Social Security payments is required to cover them. Use examples of recent cost increases and let them know your concerns about keeping Medicare affordable!.Sadly, Social Security benefits and cost-of-living adjustments specifically, have not kept up with inflation in recent years. The Senior Citizens League has estimated that the 2021 COLA will be just 1.3%., the second lowest in its history. This comes as our nation grapples with a once-in-a-century pandemic and seniors are relying on their Social Security benefits to get by more than ever before..Under the proposal by Congressman Paul Ryan, now Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Alice Rivlin, a monetary and fiscal policy expert, Medicare would be changed from a system that pays per procedure, to one that would provide a fixed amount of money or voucher, to private health plans to provide coverage.