News

Some states have passed laws that would allow their state to import drugs from Canada. National Public Radio recently reported that the state of Florida wants to establish a pilot program to buy medications from Canada in bulk. The state would contract with a wholesaler in Canada, who would provide certain high cost drugs that the state identifies. Patients in Florida who have a prescription for one of those drugs would just go to their pharmacy to pick up their medication..New legislation before the House and Senate would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset so that public servants receive the Social Security benefits they have earned and deserve. Will you cosponsor the Social Security Fairness Act when you return to Washington?.TSCL is pleased that lawmakers in Congress are finally making progress on a solution that would give public servants the retirement security they have earned and deserve. The bill currently has more than sixty cosponsors, with support on both sides of the aisle. Following the hearing, TSCL sent a letter to the subcommittee in support of it. In the months ahead, we will encourage lawmakers to sign on to the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act as cosponsors, and we hope to see it signed into law before the end of this year..This is an issue TSCL will continue to monitor as the year progresses to make sure the legislation is implemented as Congress intended..Even though the rate of inflation is dropping, a proposal that would switch to a more slowly-growing CPI to calculate COLA continues to be pushed by proponents on both sides. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the "chained" CPI would reduce the federal budget deficit by more than 0 billion in the first ten years. It would do so by cutting the growth in a host of federal benefit programs, including military retirement in addition to Social Security, as well as increasing revenues if used to index the tax code..This week, House and Senate lawmakers remained in their home states and districts to continue the two-week spring recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Monday, April 29th. In the days ahead, Members of Congress may be hosting town hall meetings and attending events in their home states and districts..For more tips like these to save on your Medicare costs and to maximize your Social Security benefits, sign up for The Senior Citizens League's Social Security & Medicare Advisor newsletter or call for more information..This week, TSCL announced its support for the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, which was introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Ted Deutch. Their bill, if signed into law, would base Social Security cost-of-living adjustments on the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers and it would gradually phase out the cap on income subject to the payroll tax over a period of seven years..Now, when the husband receives his valid Social Security number, he has already worked 12 years and would be eligible to file a claim for Social Security benefits in the future. If he kept copies of the W2s with the phony number, he can file a claim for retirement benefits as early as age 62, or disability benefits sooner, if he meets the medical and other criteria. At 65, or two years after becoming disabled, he would also qualify for Medicare. In addition to a retirement or disability benefit of his own, his spouse, his ex-wife, and children may also become entitled to benefits on his account as well.