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Since 2000, COLAs have increased Social Security benefits a total of 53 percent, yet typical senior expenses grew almost twice as fast - 99.3 percent. Table illustrates ten of the fastest growing costs since 2000. Where no average prices are available, numeric values from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U are used. Table shows the fastest growing costs from January 2019 to January 2020..One of the biggest traps to determining Medicare premiums based on income is how the government defines "high income." Social Security's rules can snag even modest-income people. This can happen when a home is sold or when converting retirement accounts. One-time capital gains can put seniors over the Medicare income thresholds. The higher Medicare premiums reduce monthly Social Security benefits for an entire year. Should your mother's income in 2010 return to more modest levels she won't have to pay the means test premium surcharges and her Social Security benefit should return to more normal levels next year..Social Security and Medicare Part A would have to rely solely on the payroll tax revenues they collect each year to pay out benefits or pay medical providers like physicians..The House of Representatives, on the other hand, has passed 10 of the 12 funding bills that are needed, with only the Homeland Security and Legislative branch funding bills left. Because there is so little time left before the start of the new fiscal year there is the real possibility there could be a government shutdown right before the November election..To read more about Medicare see the 2015 Medicare & You handbook. Get a copy here..Running for election to Congress has become incredibly expensive and lawmakers spend a great deal of their time all year long raising money to pay for their campaigns..We at TSCL urge you not to put off medical care if you need it. If you are worried about being infected with the virus call your doctor's or dentist's office and ask them what Covid-19 precautions they are following to protect their patients. Many doctors have taken extra special measures, including requiring that everyone wear a mask and keeping people out of waiting rooms until the actual time of their appointment. Many waiting rooms have far fewer chairs in them, and they are spaced far apart for those patients awaiting their appointments..This week, Members of Congress continued working on a .1 trillion spending bill to fund the federal government past December 11th. Lawmakers in the Senate passed a five-day continuing resolution on Thursday afternoon to buy more time for the negotiations. At the time of writing this week's update, those in the House had not yet passed the stopgap funding bill, but they are expected to overwhelmingly vote in its favor before midnight on December 11th, and President Obama has already said he will sign the short-term fix into law..This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for three key bills that would improve the Social Security and Medicare programs.