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Tax Provisions in the Health Reconciliation Act, Journal of Accountancy, March 25, 2010..Can you afford a 24% cut in your Social Security check? Can you afford to pay even more than you do now for your health care after you get a 24% cut in your Social Security?.There's an old saying: "Laws are like sausages; it is better not to see them being made.".Therefore, they are considering using the "reconciliation" process because they would only need 51 votes. But if they do that, legislation passed over ten years ago dictates that they must either raise taxes or cut spending on current programs to pay for the new spending in the President's bill..Seventy-eight percent of participants in TSCL's 2019 Senior Survey think Congress should establish an out-of-pocket spending cap. In December of last year, prescription drug legislation, H.R.3, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act was passed by the House. In addition to allowing Medicare to negotiate drug costs, the House bill would cap Part D's annual out - of - pocket costs for prescription drugs, starting at ,000 per year..This new data strengthens the argument that focusing on negotiating prices for the relatively small number of drugs that make up a disproportionately large amount of Medicare spending could help reduce the costs of prescription drugs to Medicare and the patients who use them..Here is a big part of the answer. An analysis by Stat News of campaign finance records shows that the pharmaceutical industry donated to more than two-thirds of Congress as well as 2,467 state lawmakers during the last campaign cycle -- to the tune of over million..The riskiest one-third of patients were 280.6% more likely to drop cardiovascular drugs than the bottom two-thirds; there were similar results for those at high risk of diabetic and pulmonary complications..One important option to select is inflation protection. The cost of

Report Section Current Flexibility In Medicaid Issue Brief

The sharp plunge was the result of changes that Congress made in 1977 to a Social Security benefit formula glitch that over-adjusted for inflation. At the time, Social Security actuaries forecast that if left unchanged, some groups of future retirees would receive benefits that would be even higher than their average earnings during their working years. Social Security was almost insolvent..In late December of last year, the federal government reluctantly turned over to TSCL the first public copy of the controversial Totalization Agreement with Mexico after TSCL was forced to file two federal lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to the documents. The agreement has not yet been signed by the President or sent to Congress for final review..Social Security is a promise that the federal government has made to its citizens. It is a promise on which millions of Americans rely on, and one that needs to be there for them when they retire. I am proud to sponsor H.R. 141, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in any capacity available, to ensure that we keep the promises we made to our public-sector employees. … Continued

Ncsl In Dc Task Forces Task Force On Redistricting And Elections

One TSCL member Barbara B., 75 of Indiana recently told us: "It's been 36 months since I've had any raise in my net operating Social Security, but my actual household costs continue to go up. This isn't fair to retirees." Barbara, who is now 75, retired 9 years ago. Like many seniors around the country, she feels that her Social Security benefits are not keeping up with inflation..It is unfair and unjust to expect American seniors to settle for a COLA that is less than what they have spent their entire lives working for, especially when America's seniors have to account for new expenses to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why it is critical to base COLAs on an index that reflects what seniors actually spend their money on. It is time for Congress to take action and give our nation's seniors what they deserve..On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees hosted a successful breakfast reception for all Members of the 113th Congress and their staff, along with Shannon Benton, former Congressman David Funderburk and Mrs. Betty Funderburk, and TSCL's staff. More than 125 Members of Congress and/or staff were in attendance, and we were pleased to have the chance to speak with them about the issues that matter most to TSCL's members and supporters. We especially want to thank Rep. Nick Rahall, who has been a regular attendee at TSCL's receptions. … Continued