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This includes, among other things, legislation to strengthen the long-term viability of both Social Security and Medicare; lowering the costs of prescription drugs; enacting a fair COLA that takes into account the actual cost of living increases seniors face; Social Security Notch Reform; stopping any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, or to the COLA that may be proposed; enacting legislation to provide for dental, vision and hearing coverage for seniors..Between July 2013 and July 2014, the prices of more than 1,200 generic drugs increased an average of 448%. What do you believe should be done to manage the extreme cost increases of prescription drugs?.President Trump recently signed an executive order intended to change Medicare by expanding the role of Medicare Advantage - the private insurance alternative to Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans have been growing in popularity in recent years enrolling about one third of the nation's 61 million Medicare enrollees..We must provide the basic benefits that our seniors count on, regardless of the ups and downs of the economy. In addition to my legislative proposal, I co-sponsored Congressman Earl Pomeroy's Seniors Protection Act, which would have provided a 0 payment to help beneficiaries cover rising costs of Medicare, prescription drugs, and other necessaries. Unfortunately, despite the President already budgeting for it, the House of Representatives did not enact this one-time payment to seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who receive Social Security to help them make ends meet during this tough time. This payment would have assisted those 54 million vulnerable individuals nationwide. However, this would have been just a short - term solution to the lack of COLA. I will continue to fight to make sure that Congress passes a long-term solution to the manner in which the COLA is calculated.."As the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a race among drug makers eager to develop a vaccine and improve the industry's standing in Washington - pharma's giving underscores the breadth of its influence and its efforts to curry favor through lobbying and donations to the lawmakers who regulate health care..Regardless of when you decide to start benefits, you should enroll in Medicare when you turn age 6Failure to enroll by your Medicare deadline may result in permanent enrollment penalties that you would add to the cost of your Medicare Part B premiums for the rest of the time you have Medicare..Enactment of Notch Reform remains a TSCL priority in 201Recently, TSCL legislative staff made personal visits to nearly every Member of the U.S. House, delivering petitions calling for the immediate enactment of The Notch Fairness Act H.R. 1001 and S. 11The legislation would provide Notch Babies born 1917 through 1926 with a choice of ,000 payable in four annual installments or an improved monthly benefit..One of the orders would allow for the legal importation of cheaper prescription drugs from countries like Canada. The second would require discounts from drug companies now captured by middlemen that are then passed on to patients..Members of the House and Senate spent the week in their home states and districts, and will return to Capitol Hill on Monday, February 27th.