Living costs for seniors 65 and older are rising faster than younger households because seniors use more medical care and health care. Medical costs are growing much faster than prices for most other goods and services.
According to a fact sheet released by the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), households headed by seniors 65 or older spend two to three times as much of their budgets on medical care as younger households and disabled individuals spend even more. NASI also says that health care costs have grown faster than prices for other goods; and services over the past thirty years. Monthly premiums for Medicare Part B have grown ―fifteen-fold‖ since 1976 — from $7.20/month to $115.40/month in 2011.
What you can do: Members of Congress are more likely to re-think voting for legislation when they see a large number of seniors adamantly opposed to cutting COLAs. Write to or call your Member of Congress and ask what plans he or she supports to maintain COLA adjustments in their present form. The more input they get from their senior and Veteran constituents the less likely they are to support the proposed changes. For quick Congressional email or telephone contact data refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/contacting congress.html.
Did anyone see the Republican debates last night?
ReplyDeleteLooks like the IPT staff didn't. Some of the comments should have been headline news. The frontrunner secessionist sitting governor says that Social Security is a ponzi scheme. The other guy says its a personalized rich mans benefit. The tea baggers say yay-yay all the way.
Time to listen to that union guy and take these SOB's out or else they will take us out. What has happened to the GOP?
The Republican Party has become the party of the rich at the expense of EVERYONE ELSE. They are not willing to close ranks with others on areas of common ground. It disturbs me greatly when Sen. Mitch McConnel say his main job is to insure Mr. Obama is a one term president. All along I Thought his job was to represent and carry out the business of the people of this country to the greater good of the most people. Partisan politics and just plain bad behavior seem to be the hallmarks of elected republicans these days. I also keep wondering when the people of this country will say enough is enough and kick these jerks out of office in both parties.
ReplyDeleteI keep wondering about politics in Idaho. Are there more Republicans or more T-Publicans? Where are the Cecil Andrus Democrats?
ReplyDeleteNot a democrat. But I cannot stand what the republican party is becoming. A party only for the wealthiest businessman. Why am I supporting the businessman's interests when his whole platform is to drive me back into the poor house. I won't be voting republican anymore until the party pulls it's head out of it's collective nether regions. You want Idaho to go democrat, keep it up.
ReplyDeleteYup, we need more democrats in Idaho. Need to make it a decent place to live again. Don't need no tea party here, Idaho is to great for tea partys. Seems like back in the day Idaho republicans and democrats got along pretty good. Don't like hearing all this talk about ending Social Security, and using the ends to justify the means as some sort of final solution to get rid of us once we get past 65. Shoot, I am in better shape than them youngsters that are trying to get rid of me. We old guys will put a stop to their plans in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteObviously you have not spent much time around people on a fixed income that live 20 25 years or so beyond retirement. They don't have the means to increase their income. I doubt that very few are living better than a young person. Idaho and the RIGHT TO WORK LAWS have killed the ability of people to make a decent living in this state. It also made every employee at "at will employee" with very few rights in the work place. You may be ok with that but I would venture most people are not.
ReplyDeleteYou would probably like to see the retirement age raised to 100 and that would surely fix social security.
I would love to see as many Cecil Andrus Democrats possible enter the political fray. I really an getting quite fed up with the extreme ends of both parties and their unwillingness to engage in statesman like conduct and actually represent the people. Count me in with the 82% who are fed up with Congress. I say cut their pay until they can produce a work product for the people.
ReplyDeleteWe need to make sure that all of those that run for elected offices nowdays and that includes local, state, and federal seats are absolutely clear that they will never vote on any legislation that puts and end to, or starts to put an end to Social Security. If they cannot give a straight answer on that issue, don't vote for them. I am a baby boomer, and that end justifys the means crowd probably doesn't want to see people in our age group live long enough to collect it. Stay in good physical shape if you are getting up there in years, and make sure that you spoil the plans of the end justifys the means crowd. Keep yourself healthy, we can all stand to lose 10 pounds. Right to Work has destroyed our middle class, and at will employment is just not right.
ReplyDeleteI think we can thank ourselves for backing Tea Party nincompoops who suddenly believe social security recipients are the bad guys and stand to deserve more cuts. I am against Obama Care but if you cut social security I will take what I can get! I worked my whole life for this to have rich fat cat business men try to take it all away?! I don't think so. I'll be voting democrat too! Tea part5y went too far.
ReplyDeleteI really wonder about the Politics in Idaho!
ReplyDeletewww.medicareidaho.com