News

  • Benefit Bulletin 3

    Eliminating income taxes on Social Security benefits. Millions of middle-income Social Security recipients currently pay income taxes on a portion of their Social Security benefits. According to a recent survey of TSCL's members, 56 percent of older households pay taxes on their benefits, and that number is projected to rise in the coming years. Eliminating this income tax would provide millions of middle-income beneficiaries with much-needed tax relief. .By Mike Watson, TSCL Legislative Assistant, .With no increase in Social Security benefits over the past two years, seniors participating in TSCL surveys say they are putting off visits to the doctors, and many are not filling prescriptions. But foregoing healthcare can backfire, leaving you with bigger health problems and bills down the road. Here are three things you can start doing right now to lower your Medicare costs and improve your health. … Continued

  • As Food Heating Prescriptions Climb Another Low Cola In 2013 2

    While more than 47 million citizens of the United States are Medicare beneficiaries, each day 10,000 newly eligible citizens enroll in the Medicare program. And, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund — the fund that pays the Medicare bills — is projected to become exhausted in 202On top of this, the Department of Justice estimates that billion is lost each year from fraud in the Medicare program. .In the weeks ahead, TSCL will continue to advocate for tax reforms that would benefit the financial security of older Americans, and we will post updates on the movement of the Ways and Means Committee's bill here in the Legislative News section of our website. For more information on TSCL's tax reform recommendations, click HERE. ."Many of the most-expensive medications are the biologic treatments that we often see advertised on television," Mulcahy said. … Continued

With the November 4th elections now behind us, TSCL is gearing up for another action-packed year. This coming spring, the temporary "doc fix" will expire and Members of Congress will need to stave off another severe pay cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients. Failing to do so could jeopardize access to medical care for millions of senior citizens. TSCL will be advocating for a long-term solution that would repeal the sustainable growth rate formula, once and for all, and establish a permanent path forward. .The TSCL study looks at the costs of goods and services that are typically purchased by most Social Security recipients. This includes expenditures such as the Medicare Part B premium, which is not measured by the index currently used to calculate the COLA, yet is one of the fastest growing costs that retirees face. Of the 39 items analyzed, 27 exceeded the COLA while 14 were lower than the COLA. .The issue is of huge importance. Feds Shut Down .2 Billion Medicare Scheme — Finally , editor .The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) will be monitoring CR discussions in the Senate in the coming hours and days, and we will post updates on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, we will continue to monitor ongoing budget discussions since they are expected to include plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As was noted in a recent legislation update, repealing the law would impact the Medicare program in several ways. For instance, progress that has been made to close the prescription drug "doughnut hole" would be reversed, and the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund that finances Medicare Part A would lose an important stream of funding that the law created. The Trust Fund could face immediate depletion if eliminated. .Have you had a similar experience? Share your experience with TSCL. .Social Security Notch Reform – Work towards benefit equality for Notch victims. .Will the Government Shut Down in 10 Days? .Just years before they were set to retire, these individuals learned that they would have significantly lower benefits than originally anticipated. The issue was created by the amendments to the Social Security Act that were signed into law in 1977, and it has compounded over time. .The Senior Citizens League and the Alliance for Retired Americans endorse my Seniors' Security Act because they know what I do – that our seniors should be enjoying their golden years, not worrying about how they'll pay their bills and stay in their homes.