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Put a medical emergency plan into place, before you need one: Having no plan for emergencies, especially if you live alone, or with a spouse who also needs special care means you need to have a medical emergency plan in case something happens to you. Often doctors will order observation care when you are too sick to safely go home. Although this can still occur even with the best-laid plan, you may be able to reduce the length of an observation stay if you have someone who will take care of you once you are released..I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail..Social Security benefits have lost 33 percent of buying power since 2000, according to the latest Social Security Loss of Buying Power Study released today by The Senior Citizens League. "One would think that a higher cost-of-living adjustment in 2019, combined with relatively low inflation, would lead to an improvement of buying power in Social Security benefits," says study author Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for the League. "But any improvement was offset by spiking costs of essentials, including out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs," Johnson says..A person receiving the national average Social Security benefit in 2000 - 6 per month - would have ,226.60 per month by 201However, because retiree costs are rising at a substantially faster pace than the COLA, that individual would require a Social Security benefit of 7.90 more per month, or ,634.50 in 2019, just to maintain his or her 2000 level of buying power..This week, TSCL endorsed the Social Security Fraud Prevention Act, sponsored by Congressman David Valadao. If signed into law, the bill would prevent instances of identity theft by removing or partially redacting Social Security numbers from government-issued documents..News From the Office of Senator Claire McCaskill.As the law is phased in over the coming months and years, TSCL will monitor it closely, and our legislative team will advocate against the implementation of the provisions that will increase costs for beneficiaries. For updates on its movement, visit our website at SeniorsLeague.org or our new Facebook page at Facebook.com/SeniorsLeague..This week, The Senior Citizens League endorsed two bills that would expand Medicare coverage to include hearing, dental, and vision services. In addition, lawmakers prepared for a week-long recess on Friday, and two key Social Security bills gained cosponsors..An excessively low COLA triggers an important provision of law that ensures an individual's net Social Security benefit will not decrease from one year to the next because of an increase in the Part B premium. That's valuable protection. But when the provision is triggered there's no law which specifies how the unpaid portion of Medicare Part B premium increases will be financed.