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Here are three good books to help you get up to speed:.Rep. Schwartz's bill, if signed into law, would repeal the sustainable growth rate formula for physician reimbursements, and it would set up a five-year trial period during which CMS would test and evaluate new payment models. TSCL believes that the SGR breeds uncertainty in the Medicare program for both physicians and beneficiaries. Many doctors have stopped accepting Medicare patients because of the SGR, and even more are threatening to do so if a permanent solution is not established soon. We believe Congress should repeal and replace the SGR by the end of this year in order to preserve seniors' access to quality medical care..Drug Discount Card May be Illegal.Without action by Congress, the situation would also create inequities or a new "notch" in premium costs for new Medicare enrollees in 20New enrollees would be subject to paying the "unadjusted" Medicare premium while those who fall under "hold harmless" protection would continue to pay the adjusted .40 per month. An estimated 850,000 people would be affected in 2010 alone. Here's an example:.Second, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 gained one new cosponsor in Senator Tina Smith, bringing the cosponsor total to twenty-two. If signed into law, S. 915 would repeal the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision two Social Security provisions that cut the earned benefits of millions of teachers, police officers, and other public servants each year..Congress Adjourns for Summer Recess.The move is undoubtedly an attempt to head off political fall-out from what is turning into a major issue with senior voters in 2014 - President Obama's broken promise, "If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan." According to a recent TSCL poll, 58% of seniors say that they are worried that their health plan could be cancelled this year. Seniors aren't the only ones who are worried - so are Members of Congress - from both sides of the aisle..To qualify, you must meet your state's income and asset guidelines. You may qualify if your income in 2012 was at or below the income and resource limits listed below..On Thursday, the Ways and Means Committee held a long overdue hearing on the Social Security 2100 Act. The bill was introduced by Congressman John Larson in January of this year. A companion bill was introduced in the Senator by Senator Richard Blumenthal. If adopted these bills would strengthen and reform Social Security by providing beneficiaries with a 2 percent benefit increase, would base the cost-of-living on the CPI-E, create a new minimum benefit set 125 percent of the poverty line and cut taxes for beneficiaries. Increase costs to the program would be paid for my applying the payroll tax to income over 400,000 and gradually increase the payroll tax rate to 7.4 percent.