One new cosponsor Rep. Michael Michaud signed on to Rep. Peter DeFazio's Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act this week. The cosponsor total for this bill is now up to 29..The prospects for an adequate Cost-of-Living Adjustment boost for 2013 are dimming. The rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is decelerating at the fastest pace in three years. A low COLA would leave the seniors, especially those with the lowest Social Security benefits, with less money to cover Medicare premiums that are automatically deducted from monthly payments..Because Medicare is such a crucial program, most members of Congress usually stumble over themselves to protect it. However, if the situation ever presents itself, they will use threats to Medicare to bash the other party..The Social Security Notch is the unexpectedly steep drop in benefits that affects people born from 1917 through 192This generation of seniors receives lower benefits than other seniors who had nearly identical work and earnings histories..TSCL consists of vocally active senior citizens concerned about the protection of their Social Security, Medicare, and veteran or military retiree benefits. TSCL was first established as a special project of The Retired Enlisted Association. On January 1, 1995, TSCL became an independent 501 citizens' action organization..Rehab the kitchen. Mid to lower range kitchen remodels can have the highest return when you sell your home, but avoid going overboard. Most buyers don't like to pay extra for that professional 8-burner gas range or a fancy fridge. Replace missing drawers or those that no longer function. If your cabinets are outdated and beat up, a less expensive option to replacing them is resurfacing, which involves attaching a thin veneer to the surface, and replacing doors and hardware. Repair leaky facets, and replace stained or worn out sinks and fixtures. Consult with your real estate agent on counter tops - laminate instead of granite may be just fine..Travel expenses to and from medical treatments. In 2018, the standard mileage rate for tax purposes is.18 cents per mile for medical purposes. Keep a travel log for documentation..Joe sees a solution for low COLAs and Social Security's long-term solvency issues. Currently the highest paid employees, including CEO of top U.S. companies only pay Social Security taxes on the first 2,900, even when they pull in multi-million dollar salaries. "The future of Social Security would be brighter, if the taxable maximum earnings to which the Social Security payroll tax is applied would include the high earners," Joe says..The difference in drug prices between the lowest and highest costing plans, can be in the hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. For brand name and specialty drugs, the most frequent reason that the drug costs so much more in the highest costing plan is lack of coverage. The drug is not listed on the high cost plan's formulary. For example, the lowest cost plan for Sovaldi, a drug used to treat Hepatitis C, charges ,600 in co-insurance. The highest cost drug plan charges 0,800, the full cost of the drug, because Sovaldi is not on the plan's formulary.
