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For information about town hall meetings near you in the days ahead, call the local offices of your elected officials. For contact information, click HERE..Tell us what you think! It's time for the TSCL's 2019 Senior Survey. This is your opportunity to let us know what you think about major proposals affecting your benefits. Tell us how rising costs are affecting you. The answers to these questions help us inform journalists, the public, and Members of Congress on how older Americans are faring in retirement today. Your participation is helping to change the national dialogue on the adequacy of Social Security benefits, and throwing a spotlight on the growing problem of the ability of COLAs to maintain the buying power of your benefits..Whether or not appropriators will successfully negotiate an omnibus spending bill before December 11th remains to be seen. If Congress fails to reach an agreement, the federal government will shut down, and Social Security beneficiaries could see delays in their monthly benefit checks. In addition, doctors who treat Medicare patients and other medical providers could experience delayed reimbursements from the government..The OIG did not estimate the amount that the 11,179 collected in benefits in 2014, no doubt because privacy laws prevent the Social Security Administration from sharing that information. TSCL's Social Security policy analyst and Advisor editor Mary Johnson, however, estimates that this group of auxiliary beneficiaries may have received more than 5 million in benefits in 2014, based on current Social Security statistical data. TSCL agrees with the OIG, and believes that with Social Security in deficit, the Social Security Administration must do more to prevent improper payments..Scientists in China, Kazakhstan, India, Russia, Germany, Sweden, and the United States have brought 10 potential COVID-19 vaccines to the point where they are being evaluated in humans in some form. Another 115 are considered by the World Health Organization to be in the "preclinical" stage of development. In some cases, these preclinical vaccine candidates are scarcely off the drawing board. In others, they are still being tweaked or tested in cells. Some are being tried in lab animals..About 4 million people who turn age 61 this year are in for a deep hit to their Social Security benefits when they retire. The initial retirement benefits of these individuals may be permanently reduced by about 9.1%, according to an estimate by Social Security's Chief Actuary. Without quick remedial action from Congress, the retirement benefits of people born in 1960 would be lower than the benefits of people with identical earnings and retirement histories who were born just one year prior to them. This is due to a flaw in the Social Security benefit formula..The Senior Citizens League supports legislation that would provide a more fair and adequate COLA and is seeking input from the public. To participate in a survey about Social Security and Medicare, visit..Shannon Benton, Executive Director.As you have experienced, one of the biggest appeals of Medicare Advantage plans are low, or sometimes no, premiums. However, you would still have deductibles to satisfy and co-payments for most, if not every service. In addition, plans are allowed to charge you an out-of-pocket maximum up to ,700 in 2019, an amount that varies and tends to grow each year. Under Medigap, your premiums are higher and, depending on the policy, can increase annually. On the other hand, covered out-of-pocket costs are minimal to nothing. Medicare Advantage is more affordable when you are healthy, but can cost significantly more per year if you require a lot of healthcare services.