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This week, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle spoke favorably about Tavenner on the Senate floor. Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, urged his colleagues to vote for her, stating: "She's dedicated. She has the ability, and I believe that she will do a great job." In addition, Sen. Tim Kaine, who served as Tavenner's boss as the former Governor of Virginia, spoke highly of her cost-cutting skills. He said, "There was no one in my cabinet that was more creative and passionate about achieving savings without sacrificing patient care.".Early last year, prior to even knowing the impact of the pandemic, the Social Security Trustees forecast that the financing of the Social Security Trust Funds would turn negative this year. The Social Security Trustees forecast that the Social Security retirement and survivors trust fund would receive a total of 5.6 billion in 2021 but estimated that program costs would be more than ,019.2 billion..This week, lawmakers in the Senate held several failed votes on bills that would have repealed and replaced parts of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, two key bills that would improve Social Security benefits gained support in the House..On Thursday, after thirty hours of debate, the Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell as the next HHS Secretary. Burwell has served as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for the past year, and she will now replace Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who announced her resignation in April. In her new position, Burwell will manage the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs, and she will also oversee the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act, among other things..The executive order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop proposals that would expand plan options, encourage innovation in plan designs and payment models, and improve the enrollment process to make it easier to choose plans. It includes a variety of proposals that include combating waste, fraud and abuse in the program, and improving access to new treatments and medical devices..On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee met with officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Government Accountability Office to discuss the removal of Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. According to Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger, more than one million seniors have been victims of identity theft in the past year, largely because the Medicare cards they are encouraged to carry everyday contain sensitive information..If you are like millions of Americans you have experienced delays in your mail, including drug prescriptions and checks. In some instances, it has taken over a month for a letter to arrive at its destination, and there are still stories of undelivered packages piled up in postal facilities..Alzheimer's is an issue of particular concern to TSCL and TSCL has donated ,000.00 for Alzheimer's research to the University of Minnesota..Medicare Advantage plan cuts. So far, seniors have not been widely affected by cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, but many of the changes in reimbursements to plans have not yet taken effect. TSCL remains concerned that the reimbursement cuts would cause plans to drop extra benefits like eyeglasses and hearing aids that they now provide. Of greater concern is whether plan payments will be adequate for insurers to maintain their contracts with Medicare to provide services. When Congress cut plan payments too deeply in the past, insurers pulled out of markets all over the United States, leaving millions of seniors scrambling to find another health plan - most often at higher out-of-pocket cost.