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..As you might imagine, the Congressional schedule has been totally rearranged. They had scheduled recesses for the national party conventions, their usual August recess, and then for the elections. We assume those are all up-in-the-air now..But so far Members of Congress haven't received a paycheck. Eric Pianin, a journalist who covers the federal budget for The Fiscal Times, perhaps expressed it best as a "brilliant budget tactic that backfired." The House last March passed a new budget along party lines that would achieve a surplus within ten years, mainly through deep spending cuts and reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlements. Earlier this spring the Senate took up the challenge and passed a .6 trillion budget that has greatly different priorities for spending and taxes than the budget passed by the House. But neither Senate nor House negotiators have met in conference where the two chambers would negotiate differences and produce a compromise budget agreement..With President Obama pushing for an immigration bill "by the end of the summer," Congress is rapidly moving major immigration reform legislation. Under the bill passed in the Senate, an estimated 8-11 million unauthorized immigrants would receive work authorization, giving them access to Social Security numbers and with it entitlement to Social Security and Medicare benefits with ten years of earnings..Although the Social Security trust fund is often reported as being solvent until 2033, there are two separate trust funds, each with separate insolvency dates. The trust fund for the disability insurance program is in the biggest financial trouble and is estimated to become completely exhausted in 2016 or by 2017[1]. "With 2016 being a major presidential election year, either the next Congress will need to enact program changes next year, or risk running out the clock and triggering across the board benefit cuts," Cates points out..When it comes to the future of Social Security, we have a choice: we can tell our children and grandchildren that their Social Security benefits won't be there for them because of a regressive tax that benefits the wealthy. Or, we can do what's right to make sure America's seniors and disabled citizens don't fear living in poverty. Our country is stronger when everyone can be financially independent and living with dignity, thanks to a program they paid into..Here are some tips to help you budget:.This week, one new cosponsor Rep. David Loebsack signed on to the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, bringing the cosponsor total up to twenty-two. If signed into law, H.R. 1030 would adopt the CPI-E for the purpose of calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. Currently, COLAs are based upon the way young, urban workers spend their money a method that underestimates the spending inflation seniors experience. H.R. 1030 would address this issue, resulting in more fair and accurate COLAs for seniors..To learn more, see the Medicare Publication "Are You A Hospital Inpatient or Outpatient" Publication No.1143Call Medicare at.

Caroline Rosenzweig

There are several types of Medicare Advantage plans, and not all are available in all areas. Many are health maintenance organizations, but there are also preferred provider organizations and special needs plans, among others. Under traditional Medicare with a Medigap plan, you may go to any doctor who accepts Medicare. But in a Medicare Advantage HMO plan you need to use network healthcare providers in order to get coverage. If you are treated by non-network providers, you would be responsible for 100% of the out-of-pocket costs, and Medicare would not cover the cost of the claim. If the plan is a PPO, however, you would have greater flexibility to go out of network, but you would pay higher co-pays or co-insurance. Before selecting any Medicare Advantage plan, check the lists of network doctors, hospitals and other providers! It is not unheard of for Medicare Advantage plans to market to people who live a good distance from the nearest in network health care provider..While you can count medical bills for you, your spouse and dependents listed on your tax return, you may also be able to count some medical expenses that you paid for a family member who's not considered a dependent for tax purposes. This is the sort of question you should discuss with a tax professional..Editor's Note: Please DO NOT postpone getting care in emergencies. Do not delay care for chest pain, stroke symptoms or the onset of a diabetic reaction. Seek immediate treatment! … Continued

Sweta Haldar

If signed into law, the Social Security Preservation Act would require that all annual surpluses of the Social Security Trust Funds be invested in marketable interest-bearing obligations of the United States or obligations guaranteed by the United States. It also outlines certain requirements for determining the annual surplus of the Trust Funds. With the Social Security Trust Funds set to expire in 2033, TSCL believes that it is now more important than ever for Congress to protect and secure the program's monies. Rep. Paul's bill would do just that, and we were pleased to see support grow for it this week..TSCL does not give money to campaigns for political office and in one way that puts us at a disadvantage as compared with the big corporations. But we have something they do not have: YOU..New legislation passed in the House to repeal and replace Obamacare puts access to health care for the sickest, poorest, and even older Americans on Medicare at risk, warns The Senior Citizens League. Says TSCL's Medicare and Social Security policy analyst, Mary Johnson, "The GOP's American Health Care Act: … Continued

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