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The Senior Citizens League believes that the on-going Medicare cuts have weakened our ability to respond to national emergencies like COVID-1It has exacerbated a national healthcare worker shortage - including doctors and nurses, as well as the capacity of the nation's hospitals to deal with the sudden large influx of patients generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes have required additional federal and state assistance as well as donations from the public, to acquire personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns, and gloves..That would have allowed them to preserve what small increases are allowed in fiscal 2021 non-defense spending and spread that money elsewhere, while avoiding cuts to popular programs that would follow if they had to accommodate veterans' health cost increases as non-emergency spending. But House Republicans objected to that arrangement..TSCL encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask questions of their elected officials about important Social Security and Medicare issues, like the following four….Congress is now in recess and is not scheduled to start again until April 20. Of course, that could change, depending on the situation with the spread of the virus..To read more about Medicare see the 2015 Medicare & You handbook. Get a copy here..[1] Income of the Aged Chartbook, 2012, April 2014..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..Compare details carefully: When making health plan benefit comparisons, closely examine the co-payment structure between plans. Your lowest costing plan may not be the best deal if you have health conditions like diabetes, or cancer that require trips to specialists, and pricey outpatient services like CT scans. Refer to your 2012 medical expenses to give you an idea of what the costs would be under alternate plans..Lawmakers Advance Temporary Funding Bill

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Now, 18 years later, TSCL is hopeful that 2021 will be the year when Congress finally enacts legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. This change is supported by about 85% of participants in TSCL's Senior Surveys. In 2019, Congress came very close to passing such a bill. In 2019, the House passed legislation, that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices, but was loathed by the pharmaceutical industry. It stalled in the Senate late in 2019 when Senate leadership refused to take up the bill..There are better and more fair choices for indexing the COLA. The BLS also measures the price change experience of All Urban Consumers which covers about 88% of the U.S. population including retirees as well as younger people, and it even maintains a "senior-specific" experimental CPI, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, that our government has quietly tinkered with since 1983, but has never used to calculate the COLA..When it comes to the quality of everyday life for seniors, one of the most important variables is access to prescription drugs. Many folks take them every day without a second thought. But what if you could no longer afford these important medications, or, if you had to choose between them and other necessities like food or rent? Even slight price increases can create real financial burdens for many seniors and their families. Unfortunately, the price of prescription drugs has been on the rise over the last several years and that doesn't seem to be slowing down. And a big part of the reason is underhanded collusion by some drug companies themselves. Drug manufacturers have figured out a way to beat the system and guarantee money in their pockets at your expense. … Continued

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The president exercised special powers of the White House - instructions called "executive action" - that can have the binding force of law but do not require Congressional approval. While presidents in the past have exercised executive powers to make immigration changes, the sweeping scale of President Obama's actions far surpassed that of presidents before him. The actions come after Congress reached an impasse on passing immigration reform legislation last year..Travel expenses to and from medical treatments. In 2018, the standard mileage rate for tax purposes is.18 cents per mile for medical purposes. Keep a travel log for documentation..During the meetings, the following issues were discussed: Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, Social Security Notch fairness, Social Security Totalization agreement reform, Social Security credits earned for work done illegally, and repeal of both the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset. Support was expressed for many of these key issues, and TSCL looks forward to working with these offices in the future. … Continued