At The Senior Citizens League, we understand the scope of the nation's deficit and we know that some small changes to Medicare may be necessary. However, we firmly believe that any adjustments should be phased in gradually, and that current enrollees and those nearing retirement should be protected from sudden changes. Congress is not likely to vote on any Medicare reform plans before the November election, but TSCL will continue to monitor the evolving negotiations. To learn more, visit our website at . .TSCL's legislative team will be monitoring the tax reform discussions closely in the coming days and weeks, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. In the meantime, we encourage our supporters to contact their Members of Congress to request their opposition to tax reform measures that will jeopardize the health and financial security of older Americans. For contact information, click HERE. .Noncitizens who began receiving benefits before 1997, and who never received legal work authorization, can receive benefits. In addition, individuals who never obtained work authorization, but who received a SSN prior to 2004, and now live abroad, could potentially receive a benefit. .In the days and weeks ahead, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) will closely monitor the movement of S. Con. Res. 3 since a repeal of the Affordable Care Act will impact older Americans in several ways. For instance, progress that has been made to close the Medicare Part D prescription drug "doughnut hole" will be reversed, and the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund that finances Medicare Part A will lose a critical stream of funding created by the law. Throughout the 115th Congress, TSCL's legislative team will continue to advocate on Capitol Hill for legislation that would reduce any negative impacts on the Medicare program. .Congress Adjourns for Memorial Day Recess .I'm enrolled in a Part D drug plan. I thought I would get my brand name drug Eliquis, for a copay, but I was charged 5.4Why was that? .Take all your prescriptions, vitamins, and supplements with you on your next visit to the doctor. Find out whether you still need to take them all and if there is a less-expensive brand name or generic you can try before settling on new medications. .Laws prohibit Social Security officials from saying how much the agency paid Cummings who is now serving a 10-year prison sentence for raping and molesting a 3-year-old girl. Based on the maximum levels in effect during the months he was at large, the 27-year-old Cummings could have received as much as ,556. .The Social Security Administration maintains a special Earnings Suspense File of wage reports that don't match the name and Social Security number of those in Social Security records. According to data from the Social Security Administration, an average of 9,762,500 wage reports per year with invalid names or Social Security numbers were received from 2000 through 2007 for an average of .68 billion in wages per year. That much in wages would be worth more than billion per year in Making Work Pay tax credits in 2009 and 2010 if those trends continue.