News

According to the Congressional Research Service, for an age 65 retiree with average wages, a maximum benefit disparity of 10% would have arisen between the highest benefit under the old rules and the lowest benefit under the new rules if the 1977 assumptions had materialized. Under the economic conditions that actually arose, the disparity was 25%-two and one half times greater..The rise of prescription drug prices is a serious concern that warrants immediate attention. Drug companies have long charged record prices that deny millions of Americans affordable access to lifesaving medications. Individuals across Maryland - and the country - have shared their stories with me regarding the high cost of drugs for themselves or their family, and the strain it places on their finances and health. Within Medicare, so many of our seniors are facing rising costs and tough choices..Medicare Advantage plans merit a serious look, but you need to understand the pros and cons to determine the best fit for your budget without sacrificing insurance protection. The costly trade - offs to lower Medicare Advantage premiums often don't start showing up until you get sicker or need hospitalization. Some key considerations:.The Republicans on the committee include: Sens. Jon Kyl, John Barrasso, and Mike Crapo ; and Reps. Tom Price, Nan Hayworth, Renee Ellmers, Dave Camp, Fred Upton, Tom Reed, Kevin Brady, and Greg Walden..On Thursday, Senate lawmakers passed legislation to suspend the debt ceiling until next spring, fund the government through December 8th, and provide .25 billion in relief to victims of Hurricane Harvey. At the time of writing this week's legislative update, the House had not yet voted on the legislation, but it is expected to pass with bipartisan support by the end of Friday afternoon..Before a company's drug patent expires, manufacturers of generics race to file lawsuits to challenge the patent. The company that wins gets a six-month period of exclusive sales to sell the drug. While this doesn't always happen, when it does it can delay real market competition until several manufacturers start making the generic version..Nonetheless, this weekend the President said he will carry out his threat and veto the bill. It is not clear if all Republican members of Congress who voted for the bill will do so again and override Trump but there were large enough majorities in both houses that they could lose a few votes and still override..The findings represent a significant one-year loss of 4 percentage points in buying power, with the loss increasing from 30% to 34% from January 2017 to January 201The loss occurred even though beneficiaries received a 2% annual cost-of-living adjustment for 201Housing and medical costs - particularly for home heating expenses and Medigap premiums - were among the most rapidly-rising costs over the past year. The study examines the growth, since 2000, in the price of goods and services that are typical for retired and disabled households, and compares that to the growth in Social Security benefits due to annual COLAs..Federal revenues are now expected to be .5 trillion less over the next decade. But, Uncle Sam still owes about .9 trillion in "interest" and the money needed to redeem the I.O.U.s held by the Social Security Trust Fund. Paying the interest and redeeming the bonds will necessitate greater borrowing, new revenues - or, benefits would have to be cut.