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Since 2000, COLAs have increased Social Security benefits a total of 53 percent, yet typical senior expenses grew almost twice as fast - 99.3 percent. Table illustrates ten of the fastest growing costs since 2000. Where no average prices are available, numeric values from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U are used. Table shows the fastest growing costs from January 2019 to January 2020..With 1.2 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors' groups. Its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. The Senior Citizens League is a proud affiliate of The Retired Enlisted Association..Then last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will make sure that a COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to all seniors at no cost once a vaccine is approved..A growing number of workers expect to rely heavily on Social Security for most of their income, but three-quarters of current retirees are receiving reduced benefits. The retirement age is gradually rising to 67 and, by taking benefits when first eligible at age 62, beneficiaries settle for permanently reduced benefits. Delaying benefits until "full retirement age" or thereafter is the best way to maximize benefits. For example at full retirement age retirees due a monthly benefit of ,000 would receive only 0 at age 62 if they took it. Individuals who can continue to work and delay retirement until 70 can receive a benefit ,320 instead. But even the individuals who wait until age 70 to allow benefits to grow to their maximum, would still be living close to the federal poverty level if Social Security is their only income..TSCL is monitoring the negotiations closely since a shutdown could negatively impact the timely delivery of Social Security checks and Medicare reimbursements. In the days and weeks ahead, we will advocate for proposals that would keep the federal government including the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services fully and responsibly funded. For progress updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website or follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..As was noted in last week's update, the AHCA would reform the current health system and negatively impact older Americans in several ways. It would restructure the Medicaid program, which funds nursing home care for many qualified Medicare beneficiaries. It would base premium subsidies on age instead of income, while allowing private health insurers to charge older Americans five times more than they charge younger folks for their coverage. And it would deplete Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund by eliminating two revenue sources that the ACA created, creating a funding crisis for the program..The tax cut, which reduced the Social Security payroll tax for employees from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent, makes the Social Security trust funds reliant on general revenues and undermines the self-funding nature of the program. Social Security is funded by payroll taxes, and currently faces a billion cash-flow deficit. Extending the tax cut could exacerbate the program's funding issues..Under current law, the Medicare program excludes coverage of most routine and emergency dental care, including cleanings, fillings, root canals, and extractions. As a result, around 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are left without comprehensive dental insurance coverage. The Medicare Dental Benefit Act would correct this to ensure that seniors have access to essential health care. Will you cosponsor this important bill?.Note any other relevant information and then hang up.