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They have already spent heavily on lobbying and are expected to soon intensify their efforts, and TSCL's concern is that the new protections could be watered down during the rulemaking process and leave consumers still vulnerable to unexpectedly large bills..After passing new tax legislation that's projected to increase the federal deficit by more than .5 trillion over the next ten years, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell recently blamed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for the rapidly increasing deficit. McConnell said the only way to lower the deficit would be to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid..High Costs for Prescription Drugs More than Just Prices.Benefits are based on lifetime earnings. To be qualified for retirement benefits, workers need about 10 years of earnings. The earnings are indexed to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then SSA calculates the average indexed monthly earnings using the 35 years of highest earnings. A formula is applied to this amount to arrive at the basic benefit..On Wednesday, Congressman Jimmy Duncan introduced the CPI for Seniors Act, and TSCL announced its support for it shortly thereafter. The bill, if signed into law, would mandate the formulation and publication of a new Consumer Price Index specifically for seniors with the purpose of establishing a more fair and accurate cost-of-living adjustment..The orders are not immediately enforceable. Health officials have been working on ways to implement some of the proposals - namely guidelines for states to implement importation plans. But it is unlikely that any could be finalized before the November presidential election, particularly since the most favored nation plan would not progress for at least a month..There was no Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, applied to Social Security benefits for 2011, and that may cause great concern for senior citizens and those who care for them. This will leave 54 million beneficiaries who receive a Social Security check each month without an increase..Another possibility for House legislative action is subsidies to make health care more affordable..TSCL enthusiastically supports the Social Security Guarantee Act since it would go a long way in ensuring the retirement security older Americans have earned and deserve. At a time when many in Congress are considering proposals that would cut Social Security benefits, we believe its passage is more important than ever.