Also, we should be wearing masks outdoors as well as indoors at this time. While being indoors with others is far riskier, being outdoors is not risk free if you are with others you don't live with..So it could be significant this week that a Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission, Christine Wilson, stated that she believes Medicare should have more power to negotiate drug prices. She acknowledged that her position would be controversial among her fellow Republicans because they argue that allowing Medicare to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies would essentially allow Medicare to set drug prices and stifle development of innovative new drugs. As the year progresses, we shall see if her views make any difference..The continuing resolution will give appropriators in the House and Senate five extra days until Wednesday, December 16th to work out the final details of the omnibus. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told reporters on Thursday, "There are a few outstanding issues that have not yet been resolved." However, he said he's hopeful that the omnibus will be filed on Monday after a weekend of negotiations..cuts 0 billion from Medicare funding, and would cause the Medicare Trust Fund to go insolvent almost immediately,.A push in the House to give legal status to illegal immigrants is reviving some movement toward immigration legislation this year. But the effort is running into outspoken opposition, including that from TSCL's grass roots senior members and supporters. At issue is whether undocumented immigrants, who have used fraudulent Social Security numbers to get jobs, would be allowed to claim Social Security payments based on earnings under those numbers..Deductibles: This is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. Most people get CT scans as outpatients under Medicare Part B, which has a deductible of 3 in 2021, meaning you might be responsible for that amount. If your scan is part of a hospital stay as an inpatient, it would bill under Part A which has a deductible of ,48Because you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, your deductible amounts can vary from the standard Medicare amount. It's a good idea to call your health plan before getting any services, to get an idea about the cost. For people covered by a Medigap supplement, it will cover the Part A deductibles but, as of January 2020, insurers are no longer allowed to sell plans that cover the Part B deductible, Plans C and Plan F to new enrollees..Medicare spending in 2013 accounts for 16% of the federal budget. That spending is projected to almost double as a share of the nation's economy in coming years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The House, Senate, and the President's budget plans contain a number of provisions that would cut federal spending on Medicare. But how do senior voters view the proposals?.The prospective vaccines range widely in their design and novelty. They also vary in their ease of manufacture, the number of doses a patient needs to gain lasting immunity, and the way they are administered. There will have to be multiple types of vaccines. The director of the Center for Drug Discovery at Washington University in St. Louis, said that while there are pitfalls inherent in the rush to find a vaccine, a previous pandemic offers comforting reassurance that in fielding the right drug, patience is an essential virtue..New Bill Would Expand Medicare Coverage
