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Lawmakers Adjourn for Holiday Recess.Remember "Flo"? In 1999 she was the blond, perky, mature lady who came onto our TV screens telling us that she was here "to tell seniors about changes that affect our medicines." She would end by saying "I don't want big government in my medicine cabinet." Flo implied that, if Medicare provided a drug benefit for seniors, it would stifle research and development of new life-saving drugs coming to market and restrict access to drugs a patient was already taking..TSCL also supports a second Notch Baby bill that Representative Emerson has introduced in the past - the Notch Baby Health Care Relief Act. That bill would provide a tax credit for the Part B premiums paid by Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926..If you are still in the retirement planning stage it's well worth the time and effort to learn all that you can about your retirement options, how much you should be saving, and what programs might be available to help you do a better job of planning your retirement. Check your community resources for retirement information, like workshops at local senior centers, libraries and community colleges, before making any decision about when to start benefits..This may be difficult to believe, but consumer price index data suggests that the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2020 could be close to zero next year - a mere 0.5 percentage point. This comes even as the costs of goods and services used by retirees are shooting upward according to responses to TSCL's 2019 Senior Survey..The task for the Administration is to figure out how to ensure patients don't unknowingly sign away their new protections, monitor and punish providers who violate the ban, and establish a process for settling disputes, among other complicated considerations. The ban is due to take effect in January..In September, federal agents announced the arrests of 35 people linked to a huge genetic testing scam. Individuals charged are accused of billing Medicare for more than .1 billion worth of phony genetic tests. The crackdown included telemedicine companies, doctors, and labs which worked in an elaborate scheme that preyed on people's fears of having genetic markers for cancer..This week, TSCL announced its support for new legislation from Congressman Walter Jones that would create a Social Security guarantee for all eligible recipients. The Social Security Guarantee Act, if adopted, would guarantee by law the right of individuals to receive Social Security benefits in full and with accurate annual cost-of-living adjustments.."Hospitals Struggle to Restart Lucrative Care After Coronavirus Shutdowns," Reed Abelson, The New York Times, May 17, 2020.

Disparities Policy Fact Sheet Health Coverage In An Economic Downturn Impact

TSCL would like to remind you to contact your Members of Congress while they are in their home states and districts. Many Senators and Representatives will attend local events or schedule town hall meetings throughout the August recess. We encourage you to approach them and request their support for fair cost-of-living adjustments, Totalization agreement reform, and other key issues..On Monday, with a vote mostly along party lines of 55-43, lawmakers in the Senate confirmed the nomination of Seema Verma, who now serves as the administrator of the trillion agency that has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid. Previously, Verma worked as a health care consultant, and she played a leading role in redesigning Indiana's Medicaid program under then-Governor Mike Pence..Since the WEP and GPO were created decades ago, lawmakers have been working on better alternatives. At Tuesday's hearing, those on the subcommittee discussed a bill the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act that could be a promising solution. If signed into law, it would provide immediate relief to current retirees affected by adjusting their Social Security benefits. According to Stephen Goss the Social Security Administration's Chief Actuary around 80 percent would see benefit increases of approximately 20 percent. … Continued

Services Healing Arts Program

As we said earlier, the end of the federal government's 2020 fiscal year is fast approaching and unless Congress can pass new funding legislation before then, we face the possibility of another government shutdown. Last week the House of Representatives passed a four-bill fiscal 2021 spending package, advancing its first annual funding measure of the year. The legislation includes State and Foreign Operations, Agriculture-FDA, Interior-Environment, and Military Construction-VA funding..While the bill did win approval by the Appropriations Subcommittee this week, its future remains uncertain. Typically, bills that are advanced by Appropriations Subcommittees on Tuesdays are considered by the full Committee on Thursdays. However, the Labor-HHS-Education bill is not currently on the schedule, and Sen. Tom Harkin Chairman of the Subcommittee has said "there are no plans" for a full Committee markup. Some are speculating that, with the November elections looming, lawmakers are hoping to avoid the politically tough votes on amendments that come along with Labor-HHS-Education spending packages..In the days ahead, The Senior Citizens League will keep a close eye on the evolving budget negotiations, and we will continue to advocate for legislative solutions that would strengthen and protect your Social Security and Medicare benefits. For updates, follow us on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website every Friday morning. … Continued