State Category Health Status Obesity"The group of Democrats blocked one committee from advancing their party's drug-pricing legislation, with two members arguing it was too far-reaching and could stymie innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Some of those Democrats also want to rein in a proposal to expand Medicare to include dental coverage, a high priority for progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders.".The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Frank Pallone, Jr. has been working with the top Republican on that committee, Greg Walden of Oregon, on what measures need to be included in the next coronavirus bill. Walden is pushing for a surprise billing measure to be in the bill, but Pallone has yet to commit to it..With regard to your specific concerns on Social Security COLAs, as you are fully aware, after a person becomes entitled to receive Social Security benefits, his or her monthly benefit was designed to increase annually to maintain purchasing power over time. The amount of the COLA is based on inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. If the CPI rises, Social Security benefits for the next year increase proportionately. If the CPI falls, Social Security benefits stay the same. Like you, I too have long been critical of this formula that measures the level of inflation in our economy because older Americans have different needs than the "typical" American. In addition, the current CPI fails to adequately reflect the fact that seniors rely more on medical goods and services, which have a much higher inflation rate. … Continued
States And Covid 19 Vaccine Distribution Oas Episode 119American consumers have waited too long for Congress to finally make bipartisan progress on lowering prescription drug costs. At a time of rampant hyper-partisanship on Capitol Hill, I've seen glimmers of hope for how lawmakers from across the political spectrum can unite on this issue. We can't stop pushing for lower prices, because our nation's seniors deserve that level of respect, commitment, and urgency..TSCL receives hundreds of comments like this from Notch.How Long After Passage Will It Take To Award Notch Benefits? My mother was a Notch baby, born in 1919 and now my disabled brother receives her survivor's benefits. It is only fair that he receives whatever the government did not award my mother and other workers. If The Notch Fairness Act is passed how long will it take to award survivors?.For people with incomes less than ,000, the monthly Medicare Part B premium in 2017 is 4, and Medicare Trustees expect it to stay at that amount in 201But the vast majority of retirees are paying a Part B premium that's far lower than 4 - about 0 or less - due to a special provision of law that protects Social Security benefits from reduction when Medicare Part B premiums rise more than the COLA raises benefits. … Continued