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This week, Congressmen Rodney Davis and Adam Schiff re-introduced the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act with sixty-one original cosponsors. If signed into law, the bill would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision two provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of public servants by as much as 40 percent..In a message to Congress in 1945, President Truman said "Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection." Twenty years later when President Johnson signed Medicare into law, he remarked on Truman "Many men can make many proposals. Many men can draft many laws. But few have the piercing and humane eye which can see beyond the words to the people that they touch […]And fewer still have the courage to stake reputation, and position, and the effort of a lifetime upon such a cause when there are so few that share it." I am honored to continue fighting for Truman and Johnson's visions as we look forward to another 50 years of Medicare..Learn the full cost and coverage for every drug you take: If you take more than 6 worth of prescription drugs a month, you're at risk of hitting the doughnut hole at some point during the year. The 6 is based on the full retail cost, that is what you and your drug plan pay, not your co-pays. Part D plan enrollees have an initial coverage limit of ,840 in total drug costs in 201You can learn the full cost of your drugs and whether your plan covers all your prescriptions using the drug using the Medicare Drug Plan Finder at..The Senior Citizens League applauds the work and dedication of both of these committees to helping the millions of people affected by opioid addiction many of whom are older Americans. For frequent updates on the progress of these and other congressional committees, visit our Legislative News ​page every Friday..For information about town hall meetings near you during the summer congressional recess, call the local offices of your elected officials. For Congressional contact information, visit our website at..Finally, some Good News.On Tuesday, the Senate Special Aging Committee held a hearing titled "Changing the Trajectory of Alzheimer's: Reducing Risk, Detecting Early Symptoms, and Improving Data." Those on the Aging Committee heard from experts as well as individuals who have personal experience with the disease, including award-winning actor Marcia Gay Harden..TSCL is pleased that after more than a decade, lawmakers have finally passed legislation to repeal and replace the SGR once and for all. The SGR has not worked as it was intended to since 2003, and seventeen times it has called for steep physician pay cuts, threatening access to quality medical care for seniors. We are hopeful that the new system will bring increased stability to the Medicare program..Earlier this fall, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected that home-heating fuels would cost about 20 percent more during the upcoming heating season, but the most recent Consumer Price Index data from October 2017 through October 2018, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicates that heating-fuel costs appear to be climbing even faster and are now 26.2 percent higher than October 2017.