Unsubscribe

Insider’s Report: GOP Hardliners Are Gearing Up for a Showdown on Capitol Hill

When Congress returns from their summer recess next month, they will be facing must-pass legislation. With a deadline of September 30^th looming, lawmakers must work quickly to pass annual spending bills through both chambers of Congress to prevent a government shutdown.

Once again extremists in the GOP-led House of Representatives are threatening to hold our government hostage if the rest of their congressional colleagues do not cave into their demands for deep spending cuts that would slash funding for many of the services relied on by older Americans. It’s almost as if they want to shut down the government.

These GOP lawmakers are refusing to fulfill their fundamental duty and pass legislation to keep the government open this fall, which could cost our economy billions of dollars. One GOP hardliner, U.S. Representative Bob Good (VA-05), mused recently that if the government shuttered briefly this fall, “most Americans won’t even miss” it. Tell that to many older Americans who rely on vital Social Security Administration (SSA) services. If lawmakers fail to reach a bipartisan agreement on a spending bill by October 1, beneficiaries may be unable to receive valuable customer support because SSA could be forced to furlough many of its employees.

The same would go for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (federal agency that administers Older Americans Act programs) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

That’s why the National Committee is urging members of Congress to fix the dysfunction in Washington and pass a spending bill immediately. It’s time to set aside politics and personal ambitions for the good of the American people. We need Congress to focus on the critical work they were elected to do — and that includes protecting the interests of retirees and working Americans through Social Security and Medicare.

Please make a donation today to support the National Committee’s urgent fight to protect the programs and services relied on millions of older Americans like you from attacks by hardliners in the Republican Party.

DONATE

Make a donation now to help us keep the pressure on Congress. Your continued support is essential to the National Committee's mission.

One Year Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act

Next week we celebrate two important anniversaries related to seniors’ earned benefits. In addition to celebrating Social Security’s 88^th anniversary on Monday, August 14^th, we will also celebrate the one-year anniversary of the historic Inflation Reduction Act which was signed into law on August 16, 2022.

As a reminder, the Inflation Reduction Act requires Medicare to negotiate the price of certain prescription drugs for the first time ever. The powerful prescription drug industry lobbied hard to convince lawmakers to oppose this measure. In fact, they are now resorting to trying to overturn this critical policy in the courts.

The Inflation Reduction Act also:

--Starting in 2025, caps Medicare Part D patients’ annual out-of-pocket payments at $2,000;

--Caps the cost of insulin for Part D patients at $35/month, which went into effect in January 2023; and

--Penalizes drugmakers for raising the prices above the rate of inflation, which also went into effect at the start of this year.

Though the bill did not contain everything that we in the advocacy community hoped for, these provisions represent meaningful reform that are changing lives for the better by taming drug prices.

We couldn’t have won this historic victory without your petitions, letters, emails, phone calls and of course your financial support which enabled us to keep fighting on your behalf day in and day out on Capitol Hill.

Ask Us!

Whether you’re retired or approaching retirement, our team of experts in the field of Social Security policy is available to answer your questions about benefits.

You can either search our archives for valuable advice on a broad range of concerns or submit your question here.

This week’s question is: My husband and I both worked full time for many years and individually will qualify for close to a maximum benefit. Will we each be able to do that, or is there a maximum payment to married persons that is less than the total they would receive if they were not married?

Click here to read the answer.

Ask Us

Whether you’re currently retired or approaching retirement, we can help answer your questions and provide valuable advice on Social Security.

Join Now/Donate

Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.

Social Security Benefits

Learn more about the Social Security program and the policies the National Committee supports that would strengthen your earned benefits.

Philadelphians Flock to NCPSSM/AARP Town Hall on Social Security

More than 150 Philadelphians turned out at Center in the Park for a town hall emphasizing Social Security’s importance to the Black community, co-presented by NCPSSM and AARP Pennsylvania. Attendees learned about their earned benefits and played Social Security-themed games — including Social Security Plinko and “What does Social Security Mean to You?” (July 27, 2023, www.ncpssm.org, Entitled to Know blog)

Read Here →

As Medicare Turns 58, It Still Must Be Protected and Expanded

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law 58 years ago Sunday, giving seniors much-needed health coverage. Now it's time to expand the program to include dental, vision and hearing care, writes NCPSSM president and CEO Max Richtman.

(July 31, 2023, Common Dreams, written by NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)

Read Here →

As Social Security official warns of A.I. fraud risks, one expert says criminal activity is ‘here right now’

For the Social Security Administration, working to combat threats from A.I. will pose a unique challenge... since the agency has been underfunded for decades, said NCPSSM's senior legislative representative, Maria Freese. “It’s going to be expensive and it’s going to have to be an ongoing effort,” Freese said. “They need money to be able to deal with it.”

(August 2, 2023, CNBC, Lorie Konish)

Read More →

Medicare Prescription Drug Premiums Projected to Drop in 2024

Average monthly Medicare premiums for Part D prescription drug coverage are projected to drop to $55.50 in 2024, down 1.8% from $56.49 this year, the Biden administration announced Monday. (July 31, 2023, Bloomberg, Tony Pugh)

Read More →

Rally round Martin O’Malley for Social Security Administration Commissioner – Herb Weiss

Max Richtman, President and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said, “We commend President Biden for nominating former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley as Social Security Commissioner. It has been more than 20 years since the Senate has confirmed a permanent commissioner nominated by a Democratic president." (August 7, 2023, Rhode Island News Today, Herb Weiss)

Read More →

Member contributions to the National Committee, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, are not tax-deductible.

View this email in browser | Click here to unsubscribe
Privacy Policy | Disclosure Statement | Click here to donate