News

  • H R 1631 Save Social Security Act

    This program provides benefits, based on earnings and work history, to workers with disabilities who are under full retirement age. Between 1990 and 2013, enrollment increased 112.5%. Of people receiving Social Security benefits, the number of disabled individuals has grown from 3.2 to 6.7 beneficiaries per 100 covered workers, according to the Congressional Research Service. . I lost my job a few months ago and at age 64, recently started Social Security retirement benefits. I just found out that I can work and still receive benefits at the same time. Can you tell me how this works? I thought. Ask the Advisor: January 2021 My Husband Had a stroke at 6Would He Qualify For Social Security Disability? .TSCL believes that the extreme cost increases are putting Medicare beneficiaries and funding for Part D at risk. "Medicare must be given the authority to negotiate pharmaceutical prices with manufacturers for covered Part D drugs," says Cates. How are rising healthcare costs affecting you? TSCL wants to hear from you, visit . … Continued

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending December 9 2011

    Every day approximately ten thousand people reach their retirement age. Many have spent a lifetime working to care for their families and save for retirement all while paying federal taxes. The taxes paid into Social Security and Medicare have helped make these programs successful for past generations of retirees. .Big bills for uncovered charges are surprising some seniors after some hospital stays that aren't considered inpatient services by Medicare. The problem occurs when the hospital classifies your stay as "observation" which is billed as outpatient care under Part B, rather than inpatient care which is billed under Part A. Your physician may order your admission as an inpatient, but in some cases the hospital later reverses the status retroactively. Whether you are an inpatient or an outpatient is extremely important, though, because it will determine how much you pay out-of-pocket, especially if you later need nursing home care. .According to the IRS, advance payments of the Child Tax Credit will be made from July through December to eligible taxpayers and will be up to 50% of the credit. Advance payments will be estimated from your 2020 tax returns, or 2019 returns if the 2020 returns are not filed and processed yet. … Continued

The fact is no one can know ahead of time what healthcare will be needed in the future, let alone the actual costs of the services that providers charge. Doctors frequently refer patients to expensive specialists, and order endless expensive tests without spending adequate time to explain why the tests are necessary, how much they cost, or the chances of improving treatments through their use. .To identify people in the country illegally, Medicare relies on information from the Social Security Administration in order to deny claims. The Social Security Administration receives data from the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies but CMS doesn't always receive information relating to unlawful presence in a timely manner, according to the Inspector General. .The lack of growth in Social Security benefits is eroding the buying power of more than 60 million people who depend on Social Security. There was no annual boost again this year. But according to a recent TSCL survey of more than 1,100 people age 62 and over, retiree household expenses continued to climb. Some 72 percent of survey respondents reported their monthly expenses grew by more than in 2015. .This week, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill and resumed work on a stopgap funding measure for fiscal year 2015, which begins on October 1st. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for three key bills. .For details, or to see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings during this week's recess, call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. .Recently a journalist, familiar with my estimates of cost-of-living adjustments, contacted me for my thoughts on the topic.. What's Missing From Your Social Security Check? For Many — 7 , editor .The SSA and the AARP say, however, the Notch affects only those born during the five-year period of 1917 through 192Those born during that period were covered by a special transitional benefit formula, the purpose of which was to provide a 5-year phase-in for the new 1977 benefit formula. .At this point, it appears as though Burwell is on an easy road to confirmation. She will face two votes in the coming weeks – one from the Finance Committee and one from the full Senate. TSCL will keep a close eye on the nomination process since the outcome will have a considerable impact on the future of the Social Security and Medicare programs. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website. .On Tuesday, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare programs released their annual reports on the current and projected financial status of the two programs. As expected, the Trustees found that both programs currently face manageable financial challenges.