The legislation now calls for a "one-time, one-year increase in the Medicare physician fee schedule of 3.75 percent" in 2021 "to provide relief during the COVID-19 public health emergency." .This is a major blow to military retirees whose reasons for settling around a military base included getting the health care they were promised when they agreed to serve a career in the Armed Forces. .Last Friday the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, Inc., urged President Biden to form a bipartisan coalition in Washington to address high drug costs. .Instead, I am a strong supporter of the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 201This legislation would change the way the Social Security Administration calculates the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) by switching from a CPI based on urban wage earners to a formula that would better reflect the spending of seniors. Unlike younger Americans, seniors spend a disproportionate amount of their income on medical expenses and it is crucial that we raise the Cost of Living Adjustment to keep up with the rising cost of medical expenses. .Food and Beverages: (breakfast cereal, milk, coffee, chicken, wine, full service meals, snacks) .The decision on when to start benefits is complicated and you should get counseling. The Social Security Administration website has a great deal of information on survivor's benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov as well as contact numbers to reach counselors. For more information about working after starting benefits see How Work Affects Your Benefits Publication Number 05-10069. .TSCL urges Congress to take common-sense steps like the following five to reduce prescription drug prices: allowing the federal government to negotiate lower Part D prices, capping out-of-pocket expenses for Part D beneficiaries, permitting prescription drug re-importation, prohibiting anti-competitive pay-for-delay deals, and increasing price transparency. .The bill would reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to just four — 12 percent, 25 percent, 35 percent — and would keep the highest bracket at 39.6 percent. It also increases the standard deduction from ,350 (individuals)/,700 (married couples) to ,000 (individuals)/,000 (married couples). While the standard deduction would increase, taxpayers on the other hand would lose personal exemptions — the ones for themselves, a spouse and/or dependents, which currently are ,050 per person. Exemptions would be replaced with a 0 credit through 2022, and eliminated thereafter. .Under the cuts, House members have seen 948 fewer salaried positions in their offices. The 2012 budget calls for an additional 6.4 percent reduction and more cuts to Congressional staffs and office supplies.