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TSCL is working with Members of Congress to enact legislation that would lower Medicare costs, including the elimination of "surprise medical bills" from out-of-network providers, and is working to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can continue to receive their Medicare benefits through the Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan of their choice..Earlier this year, after passing a .9 trillion tax bill in December and a .3 trillion spending package in March, leaders in the House called for a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution that could have been disastrous for your Social Security and Medicare benefits. The amendment ultimately failed in the House, thanks to the voices of concerned citizens like you, but many lawmakers have said they aren't giving up on the drastic measure..Medicare Part B premiums jumped .10 per month in 2020 - one of the biggest increases in recent years. While the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment increased benefits by 1.6 percent in 2020, Medicare Part B premiums climbed 6.7 percent, more than four times faster. A jump of this size can put older household budgets into a bind, forcing retirees to go without essentials when they run short before their next Social Security check..Once lawmakers return from next week's holiday break, they will have just a few days to pass a continuing resolution to keep most of the federal government operating past December 7th. Should they fail to reach an agreement before then, part of the federal government will shut down like it did earlier this year. The Senior Citizens League is hopeful that lawmakers will act responsibly to keep the federal government fully funded so that essential programs like Social Security and Medicare can operate as smoothly as possible..The Social Security 2100 Act, introduced by Representative John Larson and currently under consideration in the House, would replace the two-tier income threshold system with a single set of thresholds - 0,000 for joint filers and ,000 for single filers. The bill would subject as much as 85% of Social Security benefits to taxation as under current legislation..Small market. The companies controlled drugs through a closed distribution system or specialty pharmacy where the drugs could not be obtained through normal channels or other means..The spending bill now moves to the Senate, where its future is uncertain. Leaders are not sure that they will have the votes needed to pass the bill in its current form, and many are predicting that the President will end up signing a "clean" spending bill into law at the end of February..For seniors - many of whom are on fixed incomes - these skyrocketing prices are unsustainable. Astronomical drug prices are forcing seniors to make daily choices between the medication they need to stay healthy and other necessities such as food, transportation, and housing costs. This is unacceptable..The Senior Citizens League supports legislation called the Fair COLA for Seniors Act that would strengthen the annual COLA by tying it to a "seniors" index, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers, which over time is expected to provide modestly higher benefits than the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which is used to calculate the COLA under current law. In addition, TSCL supports legislation that would provide a minimum COLA of no less than 3%. This would provide extra protection in years when inflation is below that amount.