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President Trump is insisting on another payroll tax cut for any economic stimulus package. But the proposal is unlikely to provide financial help for unemployed workers who need the money, and would worsen existing financing problems for Social Security, Medicare, and program beneficiaries, warns The Senior Citizens League. "Today's retirees - more than 61.2 million people - depend on Social Security and Medicare payroll tax revenues for their Social Security and Medicare benefits," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst. "Their number one concern is that down the line, benefits will be permanently cut to pay for these 'temporary' tax cuts," she says..TSCL hopes that most of these people who lost SNAP benefits at least received emergency stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021 to help cover the loss of these benefits. But we are highly concerned that a high COLA could have similar unintended consequences for low income retirees in 2022..One of the orders would allow for the legal importation of cheaper prescription drugs from countries like Canada. The second would require discounts from drug companies now captured by middlemen that are then passed on to patients..On Friday, lawmakers in the House and Senate prepared to return to their home states and districts for a week-long recess. They are scheduled to be back in Washington on Monday, May 7th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings..The concern is well justified. The Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has reported that Medicare Advantage plans deny care inappropriately at high rates. When the Office of the Inspector General collected data, it found that when beneficiaries and providers appealed pre-authorization and payment denials, Medicare Advantage Organizations over-turned 75% of their own denials over the 2014-2016 period. The OIG noted "This is especially concerning because beneficiaries and providers rarely use the appeals process, which is designed to ensure access to care and payment." Only 1 percent of beneficiaries and providers appealed denials..The Social Security 2100 Act, introduced by Representative John Larson and currently under consideration in the House, would replace the two-tier income threshold system with a single set of thresholds - 0,000 for joint filers and ,000 for single filers. The bill would subject as much as 85% of Social Security benefits to taxation as under current legislation..Alexandria, VThe Congressional Budget Office recently released information about Social Security that went unnoticed by the media, and was all but ignored by Congress and President Obama. The part of the program that pays benefits to 11 million disabled workers and dependents will be fully exhausted within three years - nearly 20 years sooner than the retirement program. When that happens, the Social Security trustees estimate that under current law the DI trust fund would have only enough revenues to pay 80% of scheduled benefits..According to The Social Security Trustees, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund is expected to become fully insolvent by the end of next year. Without Congressional action, Social Security trustees estimate there won't be enough tax revenues to pay full scheduled disability program benefits at the end of 201More than 10 million disabled beneficiaries and their dependents face cuts of about 19% in their monthly payments if nothing is done..partnership programs available in several states.