This article from blog.timesunion.com may be of interest to our members concerned about future cuts to medicare. This is an important issue we all need to be concerned about. Read on for insight into Chuck Schumer's concerns regarding medicare. This is likely to be a recurring theme and one can expect more of this as the 2018 Congressional elections approach — a plea for seniors to get involved by writing their representatives about the need to protect Medicare from the kind of block grants, or caps, that Congressional Republicans have long talked about. “I’m worried now for the first time,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said during a telephonic ”town hall” discussion of Medicare put on by AARP. “There are some Republicans in Congress who have made a career of trying to cut Medicare,” Schumer added, urging seniors who have Republican Congressional reps to write and call them, urging them to vote against two of President Donald Trump’s choices to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services and Office of Management and Budget, Tom Price and Mick Mulvaney. While Trump has said he wants to leave Medicare as well as Social Security intact, both of the nominees who are Republican congressmen, have spoken and written about their desire to block grant, privatize or cap Medicare, noted Schumer. “When they say privatize, they mean end,” said Schumer. His advice to seniors who are represented by Republican lawmakers was to contact them and urge a ”no” vote on Price and Mulvaney.... Read the rest of the article over at blog.timesunion.com
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Q. I’m doing my taxes. Are my Social Security benefits going to be subject to federal income tax?
A. Generally speaking, that will depend on your total income. The higher your income, the more taxes you’ll pay on your benefits. Here’s how it works: If you file as an individual and your combined income — by this, Social Security means adjusted gross income and nontaxable interest plus one-half of your Social Security benefits — is below $25,000, your benefits won’t be taxed at all. If income is between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50 percent of your benefits may be subject to tax. For income of more than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits may be considered taxable income. If you and your spouse file a joint return with a combined income below $32,000, your benefits are out of reach. For income between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50 percent of benefits may be taxable, and up to 85 percent if combined income is more than $44,000. For this and more, visit the full Q&A at AARP National. Medicare does not have to be complex. AARP's Medicare Question and Answer Tool can offer practical and comprehensive information about how the Medicare program works and when to enroll. The tool can help clarify eligibility requirements and provide answers to questions on plan choices, coverage and costs in an easy-to-understand manner.
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The St. Lawrence County Chapter (SLCC) #2831 is a community of advocacy and volunteers whose purpose is to 1) promote at the local level the priorities, programs and policies specific for the benefit of our seniors, 2) maximize member engagement in a broad menu of services, information and educational activities, 3) demonstrate the contributions and potential of people who are 50+ to encourage their full participation in contemporary life, 4) create fundraising opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, and 5) stimulate public interest in a variety of issues.
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November 2019
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