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Insider’s Report: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Is Maneuvering for a Full-Scale Assault on Social Security and Medicare
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who continues to bend to the whims of extremists in the Republican party, is now signaling that he will use next year’s debt limit battle to force Congress and President Biden to accept severe cuts to your earned Social Security and Medicare benefits.
That is if Republicans win control of the House in the November elections …
And so the next legislative session could be the one in which “the dam breaks” and benefit cuts begin to move rapidly through Congress and into federal law.
As you may recall, must-pass legislation and self-imposed fiscal deadlines have been used in the past by so-called “fiscal hawks” in Congress as an opportunity to hold our nation’s economic future hostage in order to force deep cuts in the programs that millions of Americans have paid into and earned during their lifetime.
Of course, many of the lawmakers now calling for benefit cuts are the same politicians who voted to increase the debt limit three times under former President Trump — and who approved an unpaid-for $2 trillion tax cut for millionaires and billionaires!
If the GOP wins control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Kevin McCarthy becomes the next Speaker of the House, we expect him to make good on his threats to target seniors’ earned benefits and extend the Trump-GOP tax law that largely benefits wealthy Americans and profitable corporations. And that would spell disaster for millions of retirees and working Americans.
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| Good Bills |
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The National Committee endorses the “Medicare Advantage Consumer Protection and Transparency Act” (H.R. 9019) which would better protect consumers by holding insurers that offer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans more accountable for the coverage they provide. This bill also calls for increased transparency of MA plans so that beneficiaries know exactly which services they offer.
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| Medicare Open Enrollment Has Begun |
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Have you looked at your Medicare Part D and Advantage plans to ensure they still work for you? Each year, both Medicare Advantage and Part D plans make changes to their benefits, cost-sharing, provider networks and monthly premiums. That means the plan that best served you in 2022 may not be the best plan for you next year.
We certainly understand why so many beneficiaries choose inertia rather than the tedious and often challenging task of comparing the various private insurance plans offered in Medicare Advantage and Part D. However, given that out-of-pocket health care costs consume 28% of the average Social Security check, it’s especially important that beneficiaries take the time to ensure last year’s plans still meet their needs.
And to help you or a loved one navigate through the sometimes complex Medicare program, you can find unbiased help from trained and knowledgeable counselors through your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
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| Poll Results! |
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In the last issue of Benefits Watch we asked our readers the following question:
Do you believe next year’s 8.7% Social Security COLA is adequate to cover the rising cost of your housing, food, gas and out-of-pocket health care expenses?
The results from our recent poll are fascinating, but they’re only available to National Committee members! Join the National Committee today and we’ll immediately give you the results of this important poll.
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| Ask Web |
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Our resident Social Security expert, Webster Phillips — a Senior Policy Analyst for the National Committee and a 31-year veteran at the Social Security Administration — is here to answer your questions about Social Security.
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: Is it correct that if my wife receives Social Security based on her own earnings at 62 she cannot switch to 50% of my benefit when I retire? One more question, please. Is there some kind of a “family maximum” that affects how much retirement benefits a married couple can receive? Thanks again.
Click here to read the answer.
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Ask Web
Whether you’re currently retired or approaching retirement, we can help answer your questions and provide valuable advice on Social Security. |
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Join Now
Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. |
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Scorecard
See how your members of Congress voted on key issues impacting Social Security and Medicare. |
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| Opinion: How to fix American health care, according to 6 experts |
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"It’s no secret that it can be hard to get things done in Washington. With so little agreement between the parties on health policy, there is some lower-hanging fruit that can improve coverage for millions of Americans right now: Medicaid expansion," writes Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.(October 18, 2022, CNN, NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman featured in article)
Read More →
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| Social security recipients to get a cost-of-living bump in 2023 |
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"The problem is that the formula for calculating cost-of-living adjustments is flawed," NCPSSM President and CEO Max Richtman says. "But the CPI-E (Consumer Price Index for the Elderly) would put the right weight on the market basket of goods that seniors really spend their money on." (October 17, 2022, WCAX, Television interview with NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Read More →
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| Scalise acknowledges GOP plan to change Social Security, Medicare |
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House Minority Whip Steve Scalise attempted to defend the GOP's plans for Social Security and Medicare. The House Republican Study Group plan included proposals for “raising the eligibility ages for each program, along with withholding payments for individuals who retire early or had a certain income, and privatized funding for Social Security." (October 17, 2022, MSNBC, Steve Benen)
Read More →
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