If signed into law, the Strengthening Social Security Act would amend title II of the Social Security Act to adjust the benefit formula, resulting in a more generous monthly Social Security benefit. It would also change the way that cost-of-living adjustments are calculated by adopting a Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, and it would lift the cap on income subject to the payroll tax..The groups that have begun lobbying the administration include large hospital systems and health insurers, major trade associations, air ambulance companies and private equity-backed physician staffing firms..New Medicare enrollees..Agreeing on methods of payment has proven to be the most difficult task. One conferee, Sen. Jon Kyl stated this week: "The way our Democratic colleagues have been approaching offsets, there's just not much of anything that they seem willing to agree to, so I'm pretty pessimistic that we can get that done.".Would it Be Advantageous for Me to Take a Divorced Spouse Benefit?.One TSCL member Barbara B., 75 of Indiana recently told us: "It's been 36 months since I've had any raise in my net operating Social Security, but my actual household costs continue to go up. This isn't fair to retirees." Barbara, who is now 75, retired 9 years ago. Like many seniors around the country, she feels that her Social Security benefits are not keeping up with inflation.."The Earnings Suspense File isn't getting enough attention from Congress," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. "Wages are an important indicator of the extra costs associated with immigration reform," Cates notes. Wage records are used to determine both the number of quarters worked to qualify for Social Security, and to calculate the initial benefit. The wages represented by the Earnings Suspense File would potentially form a portion of Social Security benefits for undocumented workers who later gain legal status..Prices charged for the category of drugs known as "specialty medications" are exploding so quickly that they're now a key source of concern for both consumers and Congress. Specialty drugs include those used to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis and rare health conditions. Spending on these drugs under Medicare almost quadrupled in recent years, rising from .7 billion in 2010 to .8 billion in 201On the other hand, spending on the same drugs under Medicaid, the program that provides healthcare for low-income Americans, grew much more slowly over the same period, rising from .8 billion to .9 billion..The deduction is especially important to people age 65 and over, since spending on medical expenses increases with age, and healthcare costs can be considerable. About 23 percent of participants in The Senior Citizens League's 2018 Senior Survey said they routinely itemize medical expenses. A recent report from the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation says that Medicare households spent on average ,355 in 2016 on healthcare costs that Medicare doesn't cover. That's equivalent to ,700 in 2018 adjusting for inflation.

Newsroom New Health Hastings Clinic Opens Nov 6

After passing the so-called "cromnibus" late last week, Members of Congress returned to their home states and districts for the remainder of the year. They will return to Capitol Hill in January to begin the 114th Congress..The Supreme Court has agreed to hear another Obamacare challenge in February or March. The outcome could have enormous financial impact on millions of people who purchased their health insurance through, the online federal health insurance exchange..This year's Trustees Reports show that both programs face modest financial challenges that can be addressed by Congress with minor reforms. The Senior Citizens League supports the passage of legislation like the Social Security 2100 Act or the Social Security Expansion Act, both of which would strengthen the Social Security program's finances responsibly, without cutting benefits for current or future retirees. In addition, we hope Congress will pass legislation to bring down prescription drug costs in the Medicare program. Requiring Part D drug price negotiation would save billions of dollars for both the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries. … Continued

Health Reform Fact Sheet The Pennsylvania Health Care Landscape

In the weeks ahead, TSCL will continue to monitor the health reform discussions in the Senate and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website. In the meantime, we encourage our members and supporters to contact those in the Senate who voted against the "skinny repeal" bill to express their gratitude. Senators Collins, Murkowski, and McCain took a stand against legislation that would have jeopardized the health and financial security of millions of older Americans, and TSCL appreciates their leadership on this important issue. For contact information, click HERE..Ask for an adjustment and get your money back. To establish the appropriate charge for your mother's 2011 prescriptions, you will need to ensure that your mother's 2011 drug card information is correctly entered in the pharmacy's system. You will also want to have the following documents on hand:."At the time of enactment, The Congressional Quarterly referred to this revenue change as 'taxing the benefits of high-income recipients'" says Johnson, citing the publication's summaries of major Social Security changes from 1983-198Social Security's archives state that "Congress intended that the taxation of benefits should not affect 'lower income' individuals." The revenues from the tax on Social Security benefits are credited to the Social Security and Medicare trust funds and provide a growing share of the programs' financing. … Continued

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