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  • How Long After Passage Will It Take To Award Notch Benefits

    Under current law, the Medicare program is prohibited from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies despite the fact that other federal health programs are required to do so. As a result, older Americans enrolled in Part D often pay much higher prices than other American consumers for their prescription drugs. If adopted, this bill would lead to billions of dollars in savings for the Medicare program, and it would immediately reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. .In a normal year the two-week period around Christmas and New Years Day is a slow news period. But, as with so much else, that was not true this year. .There could be several reasons that can cause sticker shock at the pharmacy. Here are some tips for checking the charges and understanding the costs associated with your new drug plan: … Continued

  • Warning Scam Calls Impersonate Social Security Help Report Scam

    That's because the small increase would equal only an extra a month for someone getting a ,000 check, based on estimates released last week. And that's after Social Security recipients saw no raise at all for 2016 — only the third time in four decades that has happened. The final figure for 2017 should be released in the fall. .(Washington, DC) – The upcoming Supreme Court Case on immigration could have significant consequences for Social Security and Medicare, says a report , released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments April 18th on President Obama's executive action on immigration. The president's immigration policy changes would allow an estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants, including parents of U.S. citizens or lawful residents, to obtain temporary deferral of deportation, work authorization and potential access to Social Security and Medicare benefits. .Have you had a similar experience? Share your experience with TSCL. … Continued

Now there are ads in various parts of the country being run by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, accusing House Republicans of doing the bidding of drug industry donors by opposing the bill. Unremarked upon are the House Democrats who've also received money from the industry — and whose opposition is seen as potentially fatal to the legislation. .Since you were born in 1959, your full retirement age is 66 and 10 months. Starting benefits prior to your full retirement age will lower your monthly payments. If you were to retire at age 62 instead of age 66 and 10 months, a ,000 per month benefit would be permanently reduced to ,416— a reduction of about 29.17%. The longer you delay starting your benefit, the more you will receive. But age 66 and 10 months is NOT your maximum benefit age. Your maximum benefit comes at age 70, no matter when you were born. .Finally, TSCL announced its support for the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act (S. 64), which was introduced by Senator John McCain (AZ) earlier this week. If adopted, his bill would allow individuals to import their prescription drugs from approved pharmacies in Canada, where they are often a fraction of the price. It would bring much-needed competition to America's prescription drug market, and it would increase access to affordable drugs for all Americans. Chairman Cooper wrote in a letter of support: "TSCL salutes you for introducing legislation that would ensure access to affordable, lifesaving medicines … we lend our enthusiastic support and the support of our membership to the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act." .Only one other time in recent years, in 2009 at the peak of Great Recession job losses, has the AWI ever gone negative. The 2009 AWI dipped by 1.51% and retirees who were born in 1949 were affected. Although the problem was known at the time, the reductions to benefits were considered small and Congress took no action to prevent those reductions. .Pelosi is reported to be aiming for a House vote on the plan by the end of October or early November but Senate Majority Leader McConnell has already said the bill will go nowhere in the Senate. .Several new bills have recently been introduced in Congress that would reduce prescription drug costs. A number of them have bipartisan support. To read more details about these bills see —"Stories About High Drug Costs Lead To Congressional Investigation of Pharmaceutical Pricing." .Social Security survival strategies with COLA only at 0.2% .This week, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill following a two-week spring recess, and one member of The Senior Citizens League's (TSCL's) Board of Trustees visited Capitol Hill to advocate for legislation that would improve the Social Security and Medicare programs. In addition, two key bills gained support in the House and Senate. .In addition, one new cosponsor – Rep. Diane Black (TN-6) – signed on to the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act (H.R. 1716). The total is now at twenty-seven. If signed into law, H.R. 1716 would prohibit unauthorized workers from receiving Social Security benefits based on work done while in the country illegally, using stolen, fake, or fraudulent Social Security Numbers. TSCL believes it would protect the integrity of the program while preventing an unnecessary and unspecified strain on the Social Security Trust Funds.