"It's outrageous to say that COLAs overpay seniors and the disabled," Hyland says. "To the contrary, COLAs already grow too slowly to provide the protection to Social Security benefits they're intended to," he points out. .TSCL Announces Support for New Legislation .On Wednesday, the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee met to discuss fraud, waste, and abuse within the Disability Insurance (DI) program. Subcommittee members heard from two expert witnesses – Sean Brune of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Seto Bagdoyan of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – on recent progress the administration has made in detecting and preventing fraud. .According to a survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), 70% of older Americans think Social Security's solvency should be improved by scrapping the Social Security taxable wage limit of 8,500. .Mail order can also help you save if your drug plan is increasing co-pays or drug costs, dropping coverage or making similar changes for 201Orders placed by December 31, 2011 will be filled by your 2011 drug plan mail order pharmacy, and covered at the costs when you place your order your prescription in December. .While the Social Security Trustees project that the program will remain solvent until 2033 and that the Medicare Trust Fund will be solvent until 2024, both programs are currently paying out more than received in cash revenues. Because the federal budget is in deficit, the government is borrowing the money to pay benefits. The cost of interest payments is increasing as a portion of the federal budget. The question is how long can the government continue to borrow the money. .As much as the protection against reduction of Social Security benefits is appreciated, Barbara has been frustrated about high Medicare premium costs after years of low or no COLA growth. "It's been 36 months since I've had any raise in my net operating Social Security, but my actual household costs continue to go up," Barbara told us. "This isn't fair to retirees," she adds. .The COLA also doesn't reflect cost increases in Medicare premiums and other rapidly growing Medicare costs. Research for The Senior Citizens League has found that Medicare Part B premiums are one of the fastest growing costs in retirement. Medicare Part B premiums, which are automatically deducted from Social Security checks, often consume most, or even all, of the COLA increase. .An Alzheimer's diagnosis is life-changing not only for those with the disease, but for their friends, family and loved ones. For caregivers, looking after a parent or spouse with Alzheimer's impacts the entire family, as advanced stages of the disease requires round-the-clock attention. Thanks to the work of groups like the Alzheimer's Association, individuals impacted by Alzheimer's can get the help they need, from advice on caregiving to support groups, navigating the healthcare system and learning about new clinical trials. In September, I participated in an event hosted by the Alzheimer's Association's Greater Illinois Chapter to discuss the rising number of Americans affected by the disease, the escalating costs associated with treating patients, and the important strides clinical research is making today that give us all reason for optimism. These open dialogue and brainstorming sessions are a critical step in the fight against Alzheimer's.