"The Earnings Suspense File isn't getting enough attention from Congress," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. "Wages are an important indicator of the extra costs associated with immigration reform," Cates notes. Wage records are used to determine both the number of quarters worked to qualify for Social Security, and to calculate the initial benefit. The wages represented by the Earnings Suspense File would potentially form a portion of Social Security benefits for undocumented workers who later gain legal status..Medicare does not cover routine dental care that you normally receive for the health of your teeth. According to Medicare Interactive, a resource for answers to your Medicare questions maintained by the Medicare Rights Center, Medicare will not cover routine checkups, cleanings or fillings. In particular Medicare will not pay for dentures. Even if you have to have teeth extracted as preparation for a medical procedure, you are responsible for the cost of your dentures..Ending surprise billing has been a priority for TSCL this year so we are very hopeful this bill does, in fact, finally pass..Garden: A recent long-term study followed more than 2800 men and women aged 60 and older for 16 years. The study measured admission to hospital, and nursing homes with any kinds of dementia, while assessing a variety of lifestyle factors. Researchers found daily gardening to represent the single biggest risk reduction for dementia in both sexes, reducing incidence by 36%. Gardening involves many critical functions, including improved vitamin D levels from exposure to the sun for good health, exercise, learning and observation, problem solving, sensory awareness and maintenance of sanity, that its benefits are believed to a synthesis of various aspects..Congressional Research Service May 24, 1999.TSCL is hopeful that lawmakers will find a solution before the end of this month, since a government shutdown could negatively impact Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries. We will continue to keep an eye on the evolving negotiations, and we will post updates here in the Legislative News section of our website..If Social Security benefits don't increase, while senior costs continue to climb, that would take a big chunk out of the spending power of retirees' Social Security benefits. The majority of Medicare beneficiaries have their Part B premiums automatically deducted from their Social Security benefits, and nearly 7 million have Part D and Part C Medicare Advantage premiums automatically deducted as well. Seniors would end up with considerably less Social Security to live on in 2010 after paying the rising out-of-pocket Medicare costs, leaving less to cover other rising costs..Around 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are also enrolled in Medicaid and receive help from the program to cover long-term nursing home stays. The BCRA would cut Medicaid by more than 0 billion and cap federal spending on the program. How will you ensure access to nursing home care, and can you guarantee that older Americans will not be forced out of skilled nursing facilities due to funding cuts?.In reality, there's no need to cut or privatize Social Security in order to assure its solvency. Social Security could pay its full promised benefits for decades to come if we simply asked all Americans to pay their fair share of FICA taxes. Here's the deal: Ninety- four percent of American workers pay into Social Security all year long on every dollar they earn. The wealthiest six percent do not. They stop paying after their income hits the 8,500 cap. For people taking home million or more, that arrives just six weeks into the year. Some even finish paying just after New Year's Day. This gaping loophole allows billionaire hedge fund managers and corporate CEOs to pay a far lower percentage of their income into Social Security than teachers, police officers and healthcare workers.
