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Under the 'Ryan Budget,' Medicare would be turned into a private voucher program. But these vouchers are unlikely to keep up with healthcare costs, and could require seniors to pay more out-of-pocket for their healthcare. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2030, seniors would be paying nearly 70% of their health care costs out-of-pocket, with the vouchers picking up only 30% of the bill. It has also been estimated that seniors would end up paying up to ,400 extra for healthcare each year under the Ryan Budget..When you claim benefits before reaching full retirement age, benefits are reduced by as much as 30%. But only one - in - three people even know their full retirement age - the age at which you can claim full, unreduced benefits. It's not surprising that most people claim benefits at 62, even though benefits are reduced. Eligibility to begin benefits at age 62 is the one piece of information about Social Security that most people know..This new data strengthens the argument that focusing on negotiating prices for the relatively small number of drugs that make up a disproportionately large amount of Medicare spending could help reduce the costs of prescription drugs to Medicare and the patients who use them..A new analysis by Johnson compared the growth of average benefits since 2009 with what retirees would have received assuming Social Security law provided a COLA guarantee of at least 3 percent, as has been proposed by some Members of Congress, including Representative Eliot Engel. Johnson's analysis found that an average benefit of ,075 in 2009 would be 6.50 per month higher in 2018 - about 17 percent higher - had Social Security recipients been protected by a 3 percent COLA guarantee. Over the past nine years, the average retiree would have received about ,947 more in total Social Security income..Nonetheless, The Senior Citizens League urges lawmakers to act responsibly and to fund the federal government immediately so that federal agencies can operate as smoothly as possible. In the days ahead, we will keep a close eye on the evolving negotiations, and we will continue to advocate for legislative solutions that would fully fund the federal government..Opinions expressed in "Congressional Corner" reflect the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of TSCL..home care after a certain length of time in the hospital..Get help. Free one-on-one counseling is available to assist you in comparing health plans through your State Health Insurance Program : Check this link for your local program and make an appointment with a counsellor. Medicare Open Enrollment starts October 15 and runs through December 7, 202Medicare counselors can help you consider important pros and cons. There are hidden pitfalls to some choices. Dropping your current coverage in favor of a low - cost health plan touting extra benefits is not a good idea until you've checked important details.."Even under limited immigration reform that provides only work authorization and a valid Social Security number, immigrants would become entitled to Social Security benefits," Cates says. "Citizenship is not a requirement to receive benefits," he adds. But with Congress and President Obama debating cuts to Social Security, seniors are lining up against reform that would allow millions of new immigrants to benefit from work under fraudulent numbers. A recent TSCL survey found that 87 percent of seniors strongly favor prohibiting payment of Social Security benefits that are based on earnings from unauthorized work. TSCL supports immigration reform measures that would prohibit earnings from work prior to gaining legal authorization for use in determining Social Security benefits.