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In past years, Congress has chosen to allow this cost to shift to the 30 percent beneficiaries who are not held harmless. The total cost increase is spread over far fewer people, instead of all beneficiaries, and those who are not protected pay a much bigger share of Medicare Part B costs. This could happen again for the 2021 premium..In 2017 the COLA was just 0.3%, but the Medicare Part B premium rose to 4.00 for people like new enrollees and others who haven't started Social Security yet and pay for their Medicare by check. Once again, the Part B premium of Barbara and the vast majority of Social Security recipients was protected from reductions. Barbara's monthly Medicare premium was adjusted to 108.00, taking every penny of her tiny COLA boost..Social Security Subcommittee Discusses DI Program.By Rick Delaney.This week, TSCL endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act, which was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Rodney Davis with the bipartisan support of seventy-seven original cosponsors..Known as "auxiliary beneficiaries," they are children, widows, spouses, and parents, entitled to benefits on the record of another individual. The Social Security Act requires that individuals first entitled to benefits as of June 1, 1989 or later, must have applied for a Social Security number to receive benefits. But a recent audit by the Social Security Office of Inspector General found that, as of June 2014, there are 11,179 auxiliary beneficiaries without SSNs receiving benefits because of a loophole - they became entitled to benefits prior to June 1, 1989 and therefore are not required to have an SSN on the Social Security Administration's Master Benefit Record or to have applied for one to receive benefits..Mary Johnson, a policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League, said earlier this week: "The combination of higher premium costs and lower premium subsidies that people would receive under the replacement plan would make health insurance unaffordable for millions of low and middle income Americans … Anyone who cares about his or her health coverage should contact their Members of Congress now.".Senate Appropriators Approve Funding Bill.This week, the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act gained three new cosponsors in Representatives Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, and Earl Blumenauer, bringing the total up to thirteen. If signed into law, H.R. 2575 would simplify the Medicare enrollment process and increase efforts to educate those nearing eligibility about the program and the application process.

Womens Health Policy Issue Brief New Title X Regulations Implications For Women And Family Planning Providers

The largest amounts of money come from corporate and special interest groups who want certain legislation passed or stopped..On Wednesday, the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing titled "Lacking a Leader: Challenges Facing the SSA after over Five Years of Acting Commissioners." The Social Security Administration has been without a Senate-confirmed commissioner for over five years, which means it has not had a leader with the legal authority to make long-term decisions for the future of the agency..As long as all other qualifications are met, and they have evidence of their earnings, like W2s, they may file a claim for Social Security benefits. Others who receive an SSN after 2004 must have work authorization to claim benefits. Yet even people who worked illegally for many years sometimes later change status. That can occur even without an amnesty, especially if the illegals have children who were born in this country. Because the children are born as U.S. citizens, when they become adults they can sponsor their parents to stay in the U.S. legally and to receive work authorization. If their parents kept W2s and evidence earnings, those work credits will be re-instated to their new SSNs. Once they receive work authorization, noncitizens can later file a claim for Social Security benefits. … Continued

Community Garden Plots Available At New Ulm Medical Center

The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings next week: Sen. Jerry Moran, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Karen Bass, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Tom McClintock, Rep. Chris Stewart, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, and Rep. Tom Emmer..You will need to respond to the Social Security Administration by stating that you are contesting the amount of earnings that the Social Security Administration says you had, and the amount of money they say you were over paid. You should also ask Social Security for a review of your earnings record. You may be a victim of identity theft and one or more people might be using your Social Security number to illegally work..Although the annual adjustment is provided to protect the buying power of Social Security payments, beneficiaries report a growing disparity between the amount of benefit boosts they receive and increasing costs. According to a recent national survey by TSCL, the majority of Social Security recipients said that their benefits rose by less than in 2014, yet their monthly expenses rose by more than A 1.7% increase would only boost average Social Security benefits by about in January. … Continued