Tag: Seniors

Sen. Jeff Merkley on Republicans’ efforts to repeal and delay

Sen. Jeff Merkley, the junior Democrat from Oregon, takes a dim view of his Republican colleagues’ strategy to immediately repeal the Affordable Care Act — but delay the effective date. Republicans don’t want the “the millions hurt by repeal to be hurt before the next election, so they push it beyond

We Have a Retirement Savings Problem. Politicians Can Help.

It should be easier to save money for retirement. We can all agree on that, right? But about half of all Americans who work in the private sector do not have access to an employer-based retirement plan like a 401(k). Federal legislation to increase those numbers has not amounted to much.

Merkley Decries Inadequate Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Social Security Administration announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of only .3 percent for 2017. This news follows a COLA of zero for 2016. “With today’s announcement, the Social Security Administration is saying that seniors only need about

Editorial: Social Security should get the message

We’d think the Social Security Administration would be senior-savvy. It recently revealed it is not. On July 30, Social Security rolled out a new safeguard for users of its “my Social Security” accounts. Those are online accounts for doing things such as reviewing benefits, changing address or changing the location

Social Security changes policy to better accommodate seniors

WASHINGTON – Last week, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., wrote a letter to Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to address his concerns over a new system that would block online access to benefits for seniors without a text-enabled cellphone. The Social Security Administration announced Monday they will change the policy and

Merkley to Social Secuity: Don’t expect seniors to have texting cellphones

PORTLAND, Ore. – Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., wrote Tuesday to Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to address the new system at the Social Security Administration that requires seniors receiving Social Security benefits to have a text-enabled cell phone in order to log into their online accounts. Merkley specifically asked for

Wyden and Merkley Seek To Cap Drug Costs for Seniors

Oregon’s two U.S. senators stumped for plans Wednesday to cap prescription drug costs for seniors and renewed the call for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a longtime Democratic priority that has been endorsed by all three remaining major presidential candidates. “These prescription drug costs are just clobbering people, especially the

Wyden, Merkley push for capping Rx prices, allowing Medicare to negotiate

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley came to Portland Wednesday to stump for federal legislation that would cap prescription drug costs for seniors. “These prescription drug costs are clobbering older people in Oregon and across the country,” said Wyden, a Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill. “It’s a prescription of punishment, so many costs

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