Does TSCL receive government funding?.Maintenance and repair: This doesn't refer to occasional jobs like painting and replacing a roof, for which you may need to tap savings or a home equity line of credit. This category covers the far more common on-going repair headaches like leaky plumbing, failed furnaces, and drafty windows. Housekeeping and gardening services and equipment also come under this expense category. As seniors age, the need for services grows as health and living circumstances change. A common rule of thumb is to establish from 2% to 4% of the value of your home as your annual maintenance and repair budget. If 2% is too big of a stretch, forcing you to spend down your savings faster than you intended, you may want to think about downsizing your home as a new year's resolution, and look for newer, more modest housing in a less expensive area or even renting..Low premiums: MA premiums are typically about 60% lower than Medigap premiums, and despite cut backs to plan reimbursements, MA premiums have remained relatively low. However, if you live in a rural area your plan choices may be more limited, and no matter where you live, your premiums may climb in the future..The Senior Citizens League believes Congress must address the loss of buying power by adopting the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act. If signed into law, H.R. 1251 would base the COLA on the more fair and adequate CPI-E. Currently, COLAs are based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, and they fail to keep pace with the inflation experienced by older Americans since goods like gasoline and electronics are weighted more heavily than health care and housing costs..Seniors know how important Medicare is to their well-being, both health-wise and financially. But many doctors have long complained that Medicare does not pay them enough. And until the coronavirus came along, cuts in the reimbursement rates paid to doctors were scheduled to take place..Thanks to all of you who so willingly spent your time and shared your opinions. Surveys can influence votes! TSCL recently released the results of the 2013 survey to the media, and is sharing the findings of this key annual Senior Survey in meetings with Members of Congress. To participate in TSCL polls and surveys, visit..In addition, one new cosponsor Senator Kamala Harris signed on to the Social Security Expansion Act from Senator Bernie Sanders. The cosponsor total is now at three in the Senate. If adopted, the bill would strengthen and expand the Social Security program by basing COLAs on the CPI-E, increasing monthly checks by per month, and improving the Special Minimum Benefit. It would cover the cost of these changes and strengthen the solvency of the trust fund by applying the payroll tax to income over 0,000 and applying a 6.2 percent tax on investment income for wealthy individuals..Data from the Social Security Administration suggest that a substantial portion of the estimated 8.1 million undocumented immigrants who illegally work in this country already have taxes withheld. According to the most recent data, the Social Security Administration received about 7 million "mismatched" wage reports in 2012 in which the name and Social Security number don't match those on Social Security's records. This most often occurs when undocumented immigrants work under invalid Social Security numbers..In years when there has been no, or almost no cost-of-living adjustment, Medicare Part B premiums have spiked significantly. TSCL is highly concerned that another Medicare Part B premium spike could.Benefit Bulletin: June 2020 Medicare Premiums Could Spike Due to Coronavirus
