On the Hill – August 2026
August may have been a quieter month in Washington, but for seniors and the advocates who fight for them, the work never stops. While lawmakers returned to their districts, important conversations continued around Social Security, Medicare, prescription drug costs, and the financial pressures facing older Americans. At TSCL, we used the August District Work Period to sharpen our outreach, track developments in Washington, and prepare for the critical months ahead. As Congress returns and the 2027 Social Security COLA draws closer, the stakes for seniors and the need to stay informed and engaged keep rising.
Home for August: In the District This Month
Every August, Washington goes quiet for a reason older than most of the members currently serving. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 formalized the tradition of a month-long District Work Period. This year, the House was out of session from July 24 through August 30, while the Senate followed from August 10 through September 11. Instead of committee rooms and hearing halls, lawmakers headed home for town halls, county fairs, and meetings with constituents.
For TSCL, an empty Capitol doesn’t mean a quiet month. It means a different kind of work.
This August, our team used the District Work Period to plan the next phase of our outreach, including informational webinars that can bring seniors, advocates, and community partners into the same conversation. We also brainstormed new ways to reach people through social media, focusing on making issues like Social Security, COLAs, Medicare costs, and prescription drug prices feel more immediate and easier to understand.
The goal is simple: give seniors the information they need and a reason to act before the next vote, hearing, or deadline.
Seniors can follow TSCL on its website, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest advocacy updates, webinar opportunities, and news on the issues that matter most.
Legislative News
Medicare Physician Payments: August brought renewed attention to the bipartisan Provider Reimbursement Stability Act (S. 5180), introduced in late July. The bill would modernize the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and raise the budget neutrality threshold from $20 million to $57.64 million, with the threshold indexed every five years. Supporters say the changes would help providers keep pace with rising practice costs and protect access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.
Social Security Solvency: Lawmakers continued to struggle to build bipartisan momentum around a long-term solution to Social Security’s projected 2032–2034 trust fund shortfall. While the bipartisan Promise Act was introduced in July, Congress has struggled to reach even basic agreement on forming a commission that could bring lawmakers from both parties together to develop potential solutions. With the program’s financial outlook continuing to draw attention, the lack of consensus underscores how difficult and increasingly urgent it will be to find a path forward.
Administrative & Regulatory Updates
Federal agencies also moved on several issues affecting seniors and people with disabilities.
On August 11, the Social Security Administration added 14 medical conditions to its Compassionate Allowances list. The change allows certain Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income claims to be fast-tracked when applicants have clearly qualifying medical conditions.
Advocacy updates also highlighted changes to Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program rules that eliminate the requirement for applicants to exhaust potential income sources, such as early Social Security retirement or IRA funds, before qualifying for benefits. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services received public comments on medical-frailty exemption standards tied to Medicaid work requirements in recent federal budget legislation.
COLA Watch: The Estimate Comes Back Down to Earth
The 2027 COLA estimate has moved from 3.9% in May to 3.8% in June and July, and now 3.6% in TSCL’s latest August projection. That’s still 0.8 percentage points above this year’s 2.8% adjustment. If the estimate holds, the average retiree benefit would increase by about $69.75, from $1,937.53 to $2,007.28.
But the bigger concern is how much seniors actually depend on that monthly check. Our latest Senior Survey found that 44% of retirees—roughly 24.8 million people—say Social Security is all they have to live on, up from 39% a year ago. For them, even a small COLA difference can have a real impact on the household budget.
That’s why proposals like H.R. 9296, the Strengthening Social Security Act, continue to matter. The bill would use the CPI-E to calculate COLAs, a measure designed to reflect better how retirees actually spend.
Two more CPI-W reports, for August and September, remain before SSA announces the official number. SSA is expected to announce the final 2027 COLA on October 14. We’ll have the calculator ready when it lands.
In Closing:
With September bringing lawmakers back to Washington and the official 2027 COLA announcement just weeks away, the months ahead will be especially important for seniors. TSCL will continue watching the numbers, tracking legislation and regulatory changes, and making sure seniors have the information they need to understand what these developments mean for their benefits and household budgets. Whether it is the size of the next COLA, the future of Social Security, or access to affordable health care, your voice matters.
