The Affordable Care Act may impact your family members due to the following changes imposed by the White House: The sign-up period has been cut in half. It is no longer posted on the government website so finding information is challenging, but more people than ever have decided to support ACA by signing up.
If you’d like to review various petitions that are underway for/by/against the American populace and being viewed by the White House for eventual signature, go to https://petitions.whitehouse.gov
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WHAT AARP NATIONAL WANTS YOU TO KNOW:
Our chapter is an advocacy, volunteer program and we need to fight tooth and nail to protect seniors! You’ve earned a say for the distribution of Social Security! Americans earn their Social Security benefits through a lifetime of hard work. But the program is facing long-term financial challenges as the overall population is aging and contributions aren’t keeping up with longer life expectancies. To protect Medicare benefits, we must fight to stop the harmful changes the Congress is proposing in its tax budget that is proposed to cut $500 billion from Medicare. This will surely compromise medical payments and could open the door to a voucher system and force you to pay more for your health care. It also proposes to cut Medicaid and other health programs by as much as $1.5 trillion. Today, the average senior has an annual income of under $25,000 and spends one out of every six dollars on health care. Any cuts to Medicare coverage or increases in premiums could trust millions of seniors into poverty and deny them the health care they need. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! CALL – do not write or text - your members of Congress and tell them NO to reductions in Social Security. Tell them to find dollars elsewhere rather than penalize seniors or those with disabilities: Chuck Schumer’s office: (202) 224-6542 / Kristin Gillibrand’s office: (212) 688-6262 / Elise Stefanik: (315) 782-3150 (her Watertown office); (202) 225-4611 (the Washington, DC office) In addition, sign and return the petitions you recently received from the National office and return them to Joanne Jenkins in the pre-addressed envelope. You are not required to send $$$ although there is a form for you to do so. Just remove it and send the petitions! FTC Advises Consumers to Block Suspicious Robocalls: The agency suggests using blocking apps to ward off unwanted calls (by William E. Gibson, AARP, October 4, 2017)
Robocall-blocking apps can prescreen calls before the phone rings to block unwanted or fraudulent callers. Alarmed by ubiquitous robocalls that hound people for money, the Federal Trade Commission this week advised consumers to report fraudulent calls and to consider getting blocking apps for mobile phones. Robocall-blocking apps provide options to prescreen calls before the phone rings, to block certain types of calls that others have flagged as unwanted or fraudulent and to fend off anonymous calls that show up as “unknown.” Some apps also have a reverse-lookup function that helps detect fake caller-ID information. “Which app works for you might depend on your phone’s operating system,” FTC consumer education specialist Alesha Hernandez advised in an article on the agency’s website. “Before you consider downloading any app, think about the call protection that you need and do your research.” She referred consumers to the CTIA, a trade association that has a comprehensive list of call-blocking apps. “If your mobile number isn’t already on the National Do Not Call Registry, it’s also a good idea to add it,” Hernandez wrote. “If you continue to get sales calls, at least you’ll know the callers don’t respect the law. “If you continue to get illegal robocalls or other unwanted calls, report them to the FTC. Your complaints not only help us target scammers but also help telecommunications carriers and other industry partners that are working on call-blocking solutions.” SNAP Monthly Allotment Reduced by FY18 COLAs
Are you hearing that the monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/Food Stamps) benefit has decreased? It’s not a mistake. SNAP which helps feed over 4 million older Americans experienced recent changes to the benefit configuration meaning some people are receiving a slightly reduced monthly allotment. Here’s what you need to know. Each year, on Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adjusts SNAP maximum allotments, deductions, and income eligibility standards. At the same time, the USDA calculates SNAP benefits using what’s called the Thrifty Food Plan. The Thrifty Food Plan is the least expensive of four cost plans that budget what it costs to purchase a nutritious diet. The Thrifty Food Plan is calculated each month using data collected for the consumer price index (CPI). While the overall CPI increased over the past 12 months, the costs of food on the Thrifty Food Plan decreased slightly, leading to a reduced SNAP benefit calculation. The changes will primarily affect those receiving either the maximum or minimum SNAP benefit amounts. https://www.ncoa.org/blog/snap-monthly-allotment-changes/ The Equifax Security Breach Exposes Nearly Half of U.S. Consumers to Identify Theft
With credit-reporting firm Equifax revealing that hackers may have stolen financial and consumer data on at least 143 million customers in the U.S., it’s quite possible that your personal information — including birth date, Social Security number, driver’s license and address — could fall into the hands of criminals. Equifax said that it hasn’t found evidence of unauthorized activity on its core consumer or commercial credit-reporting databases. But criminals could use the treasure trove of personal information acquired in the breach to apply for credit cards and loans in your name, access your bank accounts and establish a phony presence online with email and social media accounts. Equifax is one of three major consumer credit-reporting agencies, with data on more than 820 million consumers and 81 million businesses worldwide. “Given the kind of data, the potential for financial fraud, and identity theft is quite high,’’ said cybersecurity expert Mark Nunnikhoven of security software firm Trend Micro. Equifax has created a website (equifaxsecurity2017.com) where consumers can find out if their personal data has been compromised and is at risk. Consumers can also enroll for complimentary identity-theft protection and credit-file monitoring. The credit protection service is free for 12 months for consumers — not just breach victims — who sign up by Nov. 21st. How to Contact the 3 Credit Reporting Bureaus Equifax: www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111 (Credit Report Inquiries); 1-888-766-0008 (Place Fraud Alert on Your Credit Report) Experian: www.Experian.com 1-888-397-3742 (Credit Report/Dispute Information/Fraud & Identity Theft) TransUnion: www.TransUnion.com 1-800-493-2392 (Credit Monitoring Service Inquiries); 1-800-888-4213 (Purchase a Credit Report or Get Free Annual Report) |
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.
Past Posts:
November 2019
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