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New Legislation Aimed At Fixing Social Security and Medicare.The President describe this last order as the "granddaddy" of the four orders, but he also promised to drop the plan if the drug companies can come up with a better one within the next month..After weeks of debate by the House-Senate Conference Committee, President Obama signed the payroll tax holiday and temporary "doc fix" into law this week. Other action on Capitol Hill remained slow this week, as both Houses of Congress have adjourned for the Presidents Day Recess..An immunologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said recently, "It's fine for politicians to say we're going to have a vaccine next month, but the literature is littered with false starts and unanticipated safety effects in vaccines.".Medicare Savings Programs cover the cost of the Medicare Part B premium, saving a person 8.50 per month in 202Depending on income, those with the lowest income may also qualify for additional benefits that cover the Part B deductible and out-of-pocket costs. People with incomes in 2020 of up to ,456 per month or ,960 might be eligible if they have limited savings and resources of ,860 or ,800. These limits are slightly higher for Hawaii and Alaska. This program is administered through state Medicaid programs and states may have guidelines that allow people with slightly higher income to enroll. If interested,contact your local Medicaid office to apply..On Monday, the White House held its Conference on Aging, which occurs once every decade with the purpose of discussing and advancing initiatives that will improve the lives of older Americans. Several members of the Obama Administration were present at Monday's event, and President Obama himself gave remarks on the challenges facing seniors today..Late this week, lawmakers in the House and Senate adjourned for a week-long holiday recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, July 10th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings in their home states and districts..The last time the Medicare Part A Trust Fund was forecast to become insolvent was in 200At the time, the Part A Trust Fund was forecast to become insolvent by 201Lucky for us that never happened - in 2017 at least. Congress enacted the 2010 Affordable Care Act which changed Medicare taxes in two ways. It added a 0.9% surtax to the amount of Medicare payroll taxes paid by high earning individuals with wages over 0,000. This was on top of the 1.45% that workers currently pay on their wages. A second provision affecting the more affluent, imposed a 3.8% tax on a portion of net investment income. Estates and trusts can also be subject to this tax..The Senior Citizens League is working for enactment of legislative measures that would lower prescription drug costs. To learn how to get involved, visit.