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Fall Congressional Recess Continues.TSCL is disappointed that Congress has not yet taken action to avert an irresponsible default on the federal debt, and we urge our members and supporters to contact your representatives in Congress to request a clean and immediate increase in the debt ceiling. For updates on the status of this important issue, visit TSCL's website at, or find us on Facebook and Twitter..Addressing the Part A shortfall will be particularly difficult and contentious for everyone. To bring greater solvency to the HI trust fund, lawmakers will be faced with the politically unpalatable choices of reducing Medicare spending, which could include requiring that Medicare recipients pay more for their coverage and increasing the tax revenues received by Medicare. Congress last addressed Medicare Part A finances in the 2010 Affordable Care Act which, among other things, required hospitals to become more efficient in their delivery of care, while requiring that higher income workers pay a higher Medicare payroll tax rate..Senator David Vitter also reintroduced the Notch Fairness Act in the Senate. The Notch Fairness Act is legislation that would provide Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926, or widows who receive benefits based on their account, a choice of a lump sum of ,000 payable in four annual installments of ,250 or an improved monthly benefit..Can You Live On Social Security Alone?.Reps. Steven Rothman and Michael Michaud signed on to Rep. Charlie Gonzalez's CPI-E Act. The co-sponsor total is now at 33..On Wednesday, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the financial outlook of both programs. As expected, they found that Social Security and Medicare are experiencing long-term financing shortfalls. Social Security's combined trust funds are expected to be depleted in 2034, which remains unchanged from last year's report. Medicare's Hospital Insurance trust fund is expected to be depleted in 2028 two years earlier than the trustees projected last year..Late enrollment penalties are not like one-time tax penalties. Under the late enrollment penalty your monthly Part B premium may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you delayed enrollment, and you pay the higher premiums for the rest of the time you receive Medicare..So far both Congress and President Obama have been cool to the idea of restoring funding to Meals on Wheels. That could change if Members of Congress start hearing from their senior constituents. Do you know someone who is losing their Meals on Wheels due to budget cuts? Write a letter to the editor of your local paper!