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Because Medicare Part B premiums are automatically deducted from Social Security benefits, retirees find it difficult to fully anticipate the squeeze that rising Medicare Part B can put on benefits and their budgets. In the past 15 years the percentage of the Social Security COLA increase has been lower than Medicare Part B premium increase 9 times..August Recess Continues for House Lawmakers.In 2017, the Social Security retirement and disability trust funds are due to receive an estimated billion in "interest payments" on those I.O.U.s. Because that money is not real cash, it must be borrowed, setting up a fractious debate in Congress - between those who say that benefits must be cut to make the program more sustainable, and others who say that Social Security payroll taxes are not equitable because the highest paid workers are not paying their fair share of taxes..Next week on January 24th the Senate Finance Committee will be holding a formal confirmation hearing to question Congressman Price. TSCL will be monitoring discussions about the ACA and the future of the Medicare program, and we will post a summary of the hearing here in the Legislation News section of our website..During that period COLAs have averaged just 1.4%. In 2010, 2011, and 2016 there was no COLA payable at all and, in 2017, the COLA was just 0.03 percent. "But COLAs have never remained so low, for such an extended period of time, in the history of Social Security," says Johnson, who has studied the COLA for more than 25 years. Over the 20 - year period covering 1990 to 2009, COLAs routinely averaged 3 percent annually, and were even higher before that period..TSCL believes that benefits should be increased, not cut. To do this while providing enough funding to keep the program solvent for another 50 years, 78 percent of TSCL's survey participants favor raising the taxable cap on earnings so that Social Security taxes would be collected on all earnings. Currently only earnings up to 8,500 are taxed for Social Security. "This means the nation's highest earning people, like the CEOs of some of the nation's biggest companies, are pocketing a huge tax break on all earnings over the cap," says Cates..Obviously, action on those legislative matters are of great concern to TSCL and to seniors in general..Tax Reform Work Continues in House and Senate.TSCL is hopeful that lawmakers will find a solution before the end of this month, since a government shutdown could negatively impact Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries. We will continue to keep an eye on the evolving negotiations, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website.

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that older households spend more than 46% of annual household budgets on housing. That includes not only a mortgage, but also real estate taxes, homeowners' insurance, maintenance and repairs, appliances and home furnishings, heating and cooling, electricity, water, and gas. Many older homeowners often pay for landscaping and housekeeping services as well..Currently, 62 percent of Americans ages 65 and older suffer from multiple chronic conditions which require person-centered, coordinated care. Direct Care Workers, such as nursing assistants, home health aides, or personal care aides provide an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the paid, hands-on, long-term care and personal assistance received by older adults in the U.S. DCWs are not, however, often recognized as essential contributors to care teams. Few existing models provide DCWs with the advanced training necessary to take on increased responsibilities..Two powerful Senators from the President's party have also discussed this issue. According to the same report, the number two Republican in the Senate, John Thune of South Dakota has said, "We've got to fix that. It's going to take presidential leadership to do that, and it's going to take courage by the Congress to make some hard votes. We can't keep kicking the can down the road. I hope in a second term, he is interested," Thune said of Trump. "With his leadership, I think we could start dealing with that crisis. And it is a crisis." … Continued

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By working longer, you may have access to employer-provided health.TSCL's members and supporters, through various surveys and polls, have backed these policy recommendations. Together, they represent a balanced and responsible path forward for the DI program. To read the full set of policy recommendations submitted by TSCL to the Social Security Subcommittee, visit our website. To stay updated on efforts to strengthen and reform the Social Security program, follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..Also this week, one new cosponsor in the Senate signed on to Sen. John Kerry's Social Security Fairness Act, bringing the total up to eighteen. The new cosponsor is Sen. Debbie Stabenow. … Continued