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TSCL agrees that the WEP and the GPO must be repealed as soon as possible so that public employees receive the retirement benefits they have earned and deserve. We look forward to working closely with Sen. Brown in the coming months to help build support for his important new bill..A balanced budget amendment to the constitution might sound like a good idea on the surface, but when the details are examined, it could be disastrous for programs like Social Security and Medicare. The Senior Citizens League tirelessly advocated against its adoption when it was considered earlier this year, and because lawmakers aren't giving up on it anytime soon, we aren't either..The report stated that the four changes together would eliminate 113% of Social Security's projected long-term financing gap. The majority of participants, who included all income levels, and political party affiliations, preferred the package of changes. "This survey reflects similar findings to surveys conducted by TSCL," says TSCL's Executive Director Shannon Benton. We hope that this survey can serve as an outline for a plan to strengthen Social Security without having to rely on benefit cuts," she states. "We encourage our readers to share the findings of this study with your Members of Congress," Benton adds..Since 2000, Social Security benefits have lost 23 percent of their purchasing power due to inaccurate inflation adjustments based on the CPI-W. This year, for instance, seniors would be receiving a 2.1 percent Social Security benefit increase if the COLA were based on the CPI-E. Instead, they are receiving a 0.3 percent COLA that is offset completely by increased Medicare Part B premiums..Medicare Advantage enrollees have certain protections under a declared emergency. During the period of the declared emergency, Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover services at out-of-network facilities, or out-of-network providers that participate in Medicare, and charge no more than they would pay if they had received care at an in-network facility or provider. That said, it's much less clear how billing from out-of-network providers will be handled as declared state and national emergencies are lifted. As COVID-19 cases have increased, some states have found the need to bring in emergency nursing and professional staff when hospitals have reached capacity, so the chance is higher that an out-of-network provider was involved in your father's care.."TSCL surveys indicate there is no support for benefit cuts among older voters," Johnson says. "We have learned, however, that there is widespread support to boost the amount of wages subject to the Social Security payroll tax, and to provide more adequate Social Security income," she says. "Raising the Social Security taxable maximum is a way to do both," she points out..People who are 65 years and older also should be up to date with pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumococcal disease, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Talk to your health care provider to find out which pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for you..Social Security currently determines initial retirement benefits based on all earnings, even when individuals were working without legal authorization under stolen or fake Social Security numbers..Despite resistance from some lawmakers, appropriators in the House and Senate say that their work on the "cromnibus" is continuing. According to Harold Rogers, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, negotiations are "on schedule," and the bill should come to the floor by early next week. If it fails to get the necessary votes, lawmakers will likely adopt a continuing resolution to provide the government with short-term funding. At this point, leaders are saying that a government shutdown is not something that they're willing to consider.