President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal includes a plan to change the way Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, are calculated by adopting the “chained” consumer price index (CPI).  The National Committee has been vocal in its opposition to the chained CPI because it does not accurately measure the purchasing patterns of our elderly population.  We urge the adoption of a CPI for the elderly, or CPI-E, as a more accurate means of calculating Social Security COLAs.  An in-depth examination of the CPI-E follows.

Medicare beneficiaries already have high out-of-pocket costs, and because over half of beneficiaries are living on incomes of $22,500 or less, they cannot afford to pay more.  Premiums and cost sharing for Medicare Parts B and D already consume 26 percent of the average Social Security check.

After 42 years as an educator, Sam Burnett of Toledo keeps right on teaching. As a 10 year volunteer with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, he’s showing seniors how and why their Social Security and Medicare benefits could be in jeopardy. That’s why the National Committee salutes Sam’s remarkable life of service as he is inducted into the Ohio Seniors Hall of Fame at the state capital in Columbus on May 24, 2013 at 1pm.

According to Salary.com, stay-at-home moms work an average of 94 hours per week for a total estimated "mom salary" of $113,586 a year.  It makes sense if you consider that our mothers are often the family’s CEO, driver, cook, psychologist, housekeeper and primary caregiver.

Contrary to the headlines and soundbites coming from America’s newsrooms, Social Security and Medicare aren’t to blame for our nation’s fiscal woes or our deficit.  In fact, without these vital programs our economy would be in even worse shape and millions more American families would be threatened with economic insecurity.

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare’s President/CEO, Max Richtman, will join Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Defending Social Security Caucus, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Strengthen Social Security Campaign in hosting a May 8^th summit to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits.