A seventeen-member conference committee comprised of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate is currently working towards a long-term bipartisan deal to keep the federal government operating. Should they fail to reach a compromise before the looming deadline, it will shut down once again. .The total cost for a single year of treatment with the nation's most expensive specialty drugs can cost more than the entire retirement savings for many retirees. The annual cost of the cancer drug Idhifa, for example, is 0,85According to a new study by the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, the median out-of-pocket cost that Medicare Part D beneficiaries will pay out-of-pocket for specialty drugs in 2019 would be ,55Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis could pay an estimated out-of-pocket of ,409 in 2019 for Glatiramer acetate. Even on the "low side," the annual out-of-pocket for Hepatitis C drug, Zepatier runs ,622. .Your Survey Responses are Helping to Change Attitudes About Social Security .On Wednesday, Members of the House voted to approve a temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government past September 30th – the end of the fiscal year. Those in the Senate took it up quickly thereafter and voted for its passage on Thursday afternoon, despite reservations from some key Senators. .The tax credit, a provision of the 2009 stimulus legislation, was advanced to taxpayers in 2009 and 2010 through higher pay and pension checks by a decrease in federal income tax withholdings. Most eligible people qualified for a credit of up to 0 (individual) or 0 (joint). But millions of taxpayers through no fault of their own were advanced more of the Making Work Pay Tax Credit than they were entitled to. .The announcement of the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the following year is like watching Charlie Brown trying to kick a football. Charlie Brown, our beloved cartoon character by Charles Schultz, gets talked into kicking off a football by the diabolical Lucy. Just as Charlie runs up to the football. Social Security Announces 1.3% COLA For 2021, One of Lowest Ever Paid Social Security recipients will receive an annual inflation boost of just 1.3% in 202The increase is so small, it's one of the lowest on record. The 2021 cost of living adjustment (COLA) will increase the average retiree ,523 benefit by about per month to ,54That increase is expected to be significantly offset,. An Emergency 2.5% COLA Could Add ,000 To Your Social Security Income Over the First Ten Years , editor .The hold harmless provision usually affects only a small number of beneficiaries in any given year, which has a relatively minimal impact on Part B financing. Since 2010, however, the hold harmless provision has been triggered on a nationwide basis an unprecedented four times. This occurred when inflation was so low that the COLA was zero in 2010, 2011 and 2016 and just 0.3 percent in 2017. .TSCL is calling on Congress to close this loophole, and endorses the "No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2007" (H.R. 736), introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA). The legislation would close the loophole by excluding earnings of any wages for unauthorized work. .We urge you to be cautious. You should not be charged just for being put on a list. If you receive a contact like this you should call your doctor's office or your local health department to try and verify that such a list exists.