Representatives Donna E. Shalala, Phil Roe, M.D., Ann McLane Kuster, and Larry Bucshon M.D. have introduced legislation to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for vaccines to everyone under Medicare. Currently, Medicare vaccine coverage is split between Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D. Seniors can access vaccines covered under Part B - such as flu, pneumonia and Hepatitis - with no out-of-pocket costs. However, under Part D, vaccines such as shingles and pertussis often include a cost to beneficiaries..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..There were reports recently that Republicans in the House of Representatives are insisting that stemming the growth of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid costs is necessary. Bloomberg news reported on a House Budget Committee hearing about a new Congressional Budget Office report that projects trillion-dollar deficits for the next decade..The Senior Citizens League opposes the plan that was advanced by the Budget Committee this week since it would lead to increased costs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and it would cut benefits for Social Security recipients. Instead, we support legislation like the Social Security 2100 Act and the Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act, which would strengthen and reform the Social Security and Medicare programs responsibly, without cutting benefits for current or future retirees..Fighting for legislation to lower the costs of prescription drugs is one of TSCL's very top priorities this year and we will keep you informed as things progress..How can payroll taxes be withheld if illegals don't have a Social Security number?.It's also a common tendency to overestimate how much you will get from Social Security, according to a survey by the Nationwide Retirement Institute. About 30% of future retirees in the survey anticipated collecting more than they are likely to receive, saying they expected to get ,628 per month in Social Security benefits on average, but current retirees are receiving an average of ,257 per month. That gap is significant because 55% of those surveyed said that Social Security benefits would be their main source of income in retirement.."What's the Latest on Medicare Drug Price Negotiations?," Kaiser Family Foundation, July 2019..Changes are looming for Medicare and Social Security. Make your opinion count. Visit TSCL online at and take our monthly poll!
