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  • Obama Administration Releases Thousands Of Illegal Immigrants

    The COVID-19 recession of 2020 may potentially result in permanent benefit cuts for about 4 million people. Q & 038; March 2021 Can You Tell Me My Full Retirement Age? .According to the study, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) has increased benefits just 38% since 2000, while typical senior expenses have jumped 81 percent, more than twice as much. Seniors with average Social Security benefits in 2000 received about 6 per month, a figure that rose to ,129.80 by 201However, those seniors would require a Social Security benefit of ,477.00 per month in 2013 just to maintain their 2000 level of buying power. .That is why TSCL is fighting so hard for legislation to reduce drug prices and for increased COLAs that reflect the true cost of living for our nation's seniors. … Continued

  • Category Issues Medicare Fraud Waste And Abuse Bills Feed

    Senior housing experts say they frequently hear clients say they want to live in their own homes. But over time, it can become a great burden, especially when people don't have family that lives close by. Health and physical changes can make it difficult to climb stairs, keep the home clean, and keep up with paying bills. There may be a growing need for help with simple chores like driving to the pharmacy or grocery store. Home maintenance and repairs can even become a source of exploitation from unscrupulous vendors. .To make the COLA more fair and accurate, TSCL believes that Congress must fully implement the CPI-E, and use it to provide a more realistic annual benefit boost. We support a number of bills before Congress that would do just that, including the CPI-E Act (H.R. 1030), the Guaranteed 3% COLA Act (H.R. 1585), the CPI for Seniors Act (H.R. 2154), and the Social Security Guarantee Act (H.R. 1275). Each of them would go a long way in ensuring that seniors receive the retirement security they deserve. .TSCL will continue to monitor the process since it will have an impact on millions of older Americans. For example, Medicare Part D beneficiaries who fall into the coverage gap – or "doughnut hole" – will face higher costs for their prescription drugs. For updates on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter. … Continued

Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its warning for cruise travel for the first time since several outbreaks on ships brought the industry to a halt last year. .This week, TSCL enthusiastically announced its support for the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (S. 1123 and H.R. 2305). In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Sens. Tom Carper (DE) and Tom Coburn (OK), and in the House, it was introduced by Reps. Peter Roskam (IL-6) and John Carney (DE). It currently has bipartisan support, with fifteen cosponsors in the Senate and ten in the House. .Fourth, one new cosponsor – Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36) – signed on to Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act (H.R. 242), bringing the total up to forty-four. This bill, if adopted, would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Under current law, CMS is prohibited from doing so. .Will We Get A COLA in 2012? .This study looks at 39 expenditures that are typical for people age 65 and up, comparing the growth in the prices of these goods and services to the growth in the annual COLAs. Based on consumer price index data through April 2021, it appears that the next COLA will be considerably higher in 202The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) is forecasting that the 2022 COLA could be 4.7%, making it the highest since 200But with such a high level of inflation volatility, this estimate could change several times before the COLA is announced in October 2021. .Stories About High Drug Costs Lead To Congressional Investigation of Pharmaceutical Pricing .Comprehensive immigration reform has been topping the legislative agenda in Congress for months, but so far most policy wonks and lawmakers have kept quiet about the ways in which reform would affect Social Security. Millions would become eligible to collect Social Security benefits based on work done illegally, under invalid or fraudulent Social Security numbers. TSCL is concerned about the ethical implications of this, and we believe that it would put additional strains on the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. .Allowing individuals to import prescription drugs from abroad. Many Medicare beneficiaries spend thousands of dollars every month on lifesaving medications under the Part D program. The bipartisan Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act (S. 61) would allow these individuals import their prescription drugs from approved pharmacies in Canada, where medicines are often half the cost. This critical bill would improve access to affordable medication for older Americans, and it would bring down costs nationwide by increasing competition in the American marketplace. .Last week President Biden's administration unveiled its plan to lower prescription drug prices that includes a number of aggressive proposals but that are basically the same proposals that Democrats have pushed for years, many of which Democrats in Congress are currently working on to include in upcoming legislation. The plan would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, a longstanding pledge from Biden, Democratic lawmakers, and every Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. It also would limit yearly price increases, allow the importation of drugs from Canada, and place a cap on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare beneficiaries