NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE for NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

Immigration IMM

E-Verify Program (no bill). Proposals making the E-Verify Program permanent and mandatory.

Contacted: Employment & Training Administration; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Administration on Aging; Vice President of the U.S.; President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Social Security Administration (SSA); SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. H.J.Res. 1, H.J.Res. 2: resolutions proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States and requiring supermajorities to increase the deficit or to raise revenues. Congressional Budget Process. S. 245, H.R. 2560: provisions limiting total federal outlays and prescribing requirements for implementing sequestration orders. Fiscal Year 2012 Budget of the U.S. H. Con. Res. 34: provisions pertaining to funding the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Medicaid nursing home expenditures, Older Americans Act programs, and Geriatric Education Centers and related programs. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations. H. Res. 300, H.R. 2112: provisions pertaining to funding nutrition programs. Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations. S.1599: provisions appropriating funds for Older Americans Act programs.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); President of the U.S.; Social Security Administration (SSA); SENATE; Employment & Training Administration; Administration on Aging; Vice President of the U.S.; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.J.Res. 1 (112th), H.J.Res. 2 (112th), H.Res. 300 (112th), H.Con.Res. 34 (112th), S. 245 (112th), H.R. 2560 (112th), H.R. 2112 (112th), S. 1599 (112th)

Retirement RET

Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers. H.R. 798, H.R. 1086, H.R. 776, H.R. 539, H.R. 456: provisions establishing a consumer price index for elderly consumers (CPI-E) to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits and authorizing a cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients in 2011. Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment. H.R. 776, H.R.539: providing for a Social Security COLA in non-COLA years. Chained CPI (No bill). proposal to replace the current index used to calculate the Social Security COLA with a chained CPI. Social Security Privatization. H.R. 2109, H.R. 2889: provisions converting Social Security to a system of private investment accounts. Social Security Protection. H.R. 1118, H.R. 796, H.R. 1630, S. 582 S.AMDT. 207 to S. 493: provisions removing Social Security Trust Fund receipts and disbursements from the federal budget baseline; limiting Trust Fund proceeds to OASDI purposes; prohibiting increases to the retirement age or the early retirement age, reductions in cost-of-living increases, reductions of benefit payment amounts, or the creation of private retirement accounts carved out of Social Security. Social Security Benefits. S. 1213, S. 804: provisions requiring progressive indexing or modifying cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to one percent below the general COLA and implementing longevity indexing (i.e., raising the retirement age) of Social Security old-age insurance benefits. Social Security Payroll Tax (No bill). Proposal to extend the current payroll tax holiday through the end of Calendar Year 2012, increase the percentage reduction from the current 2 percent to 3.1 percent, and extend it to employers in certain situations. Social Security Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). H.R. 1332, S. 113: provisions repealing the GPO and/or WEP. Annual Social Security Statements (No bill). Options to modify the Social Security Administrations decision suspending the production and mailing of individual Social Security Statements. Public Pension Modifications (No bill). Proposals safeguarding spousal benefits with respect to Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pensions, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Womens Pension Improvements and Protections (No bill). Proposals to improve working womens pension plan participation and pension account accumulation, and safeguard spousal pension rights at divorce. Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. H.Con. Res.72: Resolution expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. Raising the Payroll Tax Cap. S. 1558, H.R. 797: provisions raising the amount of wages subject to payroll taxes.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Administration on Aging; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Social Security Administration (SSA); SENATE; Employment & Training Administration; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Vice President of the U.S.

Bills named: S. 1558 (112th), H.R. 456 (112th), H.R. 796 (112th), S. 113 (112th), S. 804 (112th), S. 1213 (112th), S. 582 (112th), H.R. 776 (112th), H.R. 2889 (112th), H.R. 1118 (112th), H.R. 539 (112th), H.R. 1630 (112th), S. 493 (112th), H.R. 798 (112th), H.R. 1086 (112th), H.R. 797 (112th), H.R. 2109 (112th), H.R. 1332 (112th), H.Con.Res. 72 (112th)

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Medicare/Home Health Benefits (No bill). Pertaining to potential regulation regarding the face-to-face physician encounter requirement to qualify for the Medicare home health benefit. Medicare/Home Health Benefits (No bill). Pertaining to potential copayments for beneficiaries receiving the Medicare home health benefit. Medicare/Clinical Laboratory Services (No bill). Pertaining to potential copayments for beneficiaries Medicare clinical laboratory services. Medicare/Part A Hospital Inpatient Status. S. 818, H.R. 1543: provisions ensuring beneficiaries receiving hospital services are designated as inpatients, thereby assuring coverage of prescription drugs and post-acute care under Part A. Medicare/Physician Fees (P.L. 111-309): provisions maintaining current levels of physician fees under Part B; extending the therapy caps exceptions process; extending the Qualified Individual program. Comprehensive Health Care Reform. P.L. 111-148 (H.R. 3590), P.L. 111-152 (H.R. 4872): implementation of provisions reducing Medicare Advantage plan payments; reducing the Part D coverage gap; requiring higher income Medicare beneficiaries to pay an increased share of Medicare Parts B and D premium costs; expanding benefits for low-income beneficiaries under the Medicare Savings Programs and the Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS); improving the process for reassigning LIS beneficiaries to new plans; expanding coverage of prevention services; establishing a Medicare Commission; providing expanded Medicaid coverage for home and community-based services; authorizing the collection of data regarding disparities in the provision of care; providing safeguards and subsidies to assure affordability of health coverage for seniors. Medicare/Commission. P.L. 111-148 (H.R. 3590), P.L. 111-152 (H.R. 452, S. 668): pertaining to the repeal or modification of provisions creating an independent commission authorized to establish Medicare payment and policy designed to reduce Medicare spending growth. Medicare/Parts C and D. P.L. 110-275, P.L. 108-173: implementation of regulations and issuance of guidance relating to beneficiary eligibility, enrollment, and effectiveness of exceptions and the appeals processes under Medicare Parts C and D. Medicare/Medicare-operated Part D plan, Negotiation of Part D Drug Prices. S. 31, S. 44, S.560, H.R. 999: creating a Medicare-operated prescription drug plan, allowing or requiring the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate price concessions from pharmaceutical manufacturers for drugs purchased under the Part D program. Medicare Drug Savings. S. 1206, H.R. 2190: extending Medicaid drug rebates to prescription drugs paid for by Medicare and used by people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual-eligibles), and by people receiving the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy. Medicare and Medicaid/Federal Coordinated Health Care Office (Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office) (No bill). Proposals for the activities of the Federal Coordinated Health Care Office intended to improve the quality of care for recipients who receive benefits from both Medicare and Medicaid, i.e., dual-eligibles. Medicare and Medicaid/Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations (No bill). Proposals related to the planning for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations, and the approach this office will take to test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures, while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. Medicare/Raising Eligibility Age (No bill). Proposals to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. Medicare/Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance (No bill). Proposals to increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries who purchase Medigap insurance. Medicare/Income-relating (No bill). Proposals to increase costs for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries.

Contacted: President of the U.S.; Administration on Aging; SENATE; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Social Security Administration (SSA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Employment & Training Administration; Vice President of the U.S.

Bills named: S. 818 (112th), S. 1206 (112th), S. 560 (112th), H.R. 2190 (112th), S. 31 (112th), H.R. 4872 (112th), S. 44 (112th), H.R. 999 (112th), H.R. 452 (112th), H.R. 3590 (112th), H.R. 1543 (112th), S. 668 (112th)

Welfare WEL

Period of Eligibility to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Humanitarian Immigrants. H.R. 2763: proposal to extend for two additional years the time a humanitarian refugee (e.g., refugee, asylee) can qualify for SSI.

Contacted: Vice President of the U.S.; Employment & Training Administration; Administration on Aging; President of the U.S.; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Social Security Administration (SSA)

Bills named: H.R. 2763 (112th)