In the final days of the holiday recess, many Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings and attending local events in their home states and districts. The Senior Citizens League encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions about the BCRA and its potential impact on older Americans, like the following two….Almost all of my income is from Social Security. I have some limited savings, and I own my home. I'm having trouble affording my Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs, but I don't think I qualify for Medicaid. Are there any programs that may help?.Would this proposal help you? We are interested in hearing what you think. Send us an email at..When food and other important costs rise faster than the Social Security COLA, that means that retirees aren't able to purchase as much with their benefits. This can lead to older consumers going without essentials. Research by Johnson has found that Social Security benefits have lost 30% of buying power since 2000. "We encourage everyone to consider who you may know that might need help with food costs," Johnson says "Perhaps you can drop off a few groceries, or share your next batch of home - made soups, chili, or stews with others you know," Johnson adds. "Mercifully, this list of prices will likely change in time, especially as we get COVID-19 under control and people return to work," Johnson says..So far there's been little discussion on how to fix the disability program. Congress and President Obama have debated reducing cost-of-living adjustments that would reduce the growth in benefits of all Social Security recipients. There has also been debate over raising the eligibility age, and other changes affecting the retirement program..Providing relief for more than 11 million middle-class beneficiaries who pay income taxes on their Social Security benefits each year..Cook big batches of soups, stews and casseroles, and freeze extrMake big batches of soups, stews and casseroles, then freeze servings for one or two. All use less expensive cuts of meats, poultry, and fish. Many can be stretched and made all the more delicious with the addition of vegetables and cooked dry beans. Save the most by making your own stocks, rather than buying the heavily sodium-laden variety off the shelf. A simple stock or stew base requires only carrots, onion, and celery, perhaps some garlic, water, and a small amount of salt. Try growing your own parsley and thyme to add year round. Recycle yogurt, cottage cheese and other small plastic containers for freezer containers. Mark with contents and date..This week, appropriators in the House and Senate continued their work on the .1 trillion omnibus to fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. Lawmakers have just one week to finalize the deal in order to avoid a government shutdown like the one that occurred in 2013..The hold harmless provision affects Medicare beneficiaries who have their Part B premiums automatically deducted from their Social Security payments. The law protects the Social Security benefits of those people, about 70% of all Medicare beneficiaries, when an increase in the amount of the Part B premium is greater than the amount of increase that individuals would receive in their COLA. The law prohibits a reduction to an individual's monthly Social Security benefit due to rising Medicare premiums from one year to the next.
