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This study has found that Social Security benefits tend to lose buying power over time, because prices of the goods and services most frequently purchased by older Americans tend to increase more quickly than the COLA. In this year's study, price data indicate that Social Security benefits lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000. The 2020 findings represent an improvement in benefit buying power of 3 percentage points from January 2000 through January 2020. Several items came down in price, particularly electricity, as well as a few food items including fresh fruits and vegetables..The CBO estimated that, the American Health Care Act, introduced in March, would cut federal spending on Medicaid by nearly 0 billion over the 2017 2026 period. The CBO estimated that, by 2026, Medicaid spending would be about 25 percent less than projected under current law, yet Medicaid spending growth would exceed the rate of growth of the inflation adjustment. "With costs growing faster than reimbursements, states would have to come up with the money in some other way or be forced to cut services, restrict eligibility for enrollment or otherwise ration care," says Johnson.".Currently there is a 2% tax cut on the Social Security payroll tax workers pay. That tax cut is due to expire December 31, 201Do you favor a further extension, and if so how would you pay for it?.Fall Congressional Recess Continues.When a pharmaceutical industry leader attempted to avoid questions about the pharmaceutical company representative buying alcohol for doctors, McCaskill pressed them for a yes-or-no answer. Ultimately, she admitted there were no rules to prohibit this from taking place, and defended the industry as simply trying to communicate information about prescription medications..Although the Social Security trust fund is often reported as being solvent until 2033, there are two separate trust funds, each with separate insolvency dates. The trust fund for the disability insurance program is in the biggest financial trouble and is estimated to become completely exhausted in 2016 or by 2017[1]. "With 2016 being a major presidential election year, either the next Congress will need to enact program changes next year, or risk running out the clock and triggering across the board benefit cuts," Cates points out..Now, a new fight over the practice has emerged as Health groups and consumer advocates are mounting a lobbying campaign to shape forthcoming federal rules around the ban. These are the same health groups that fought bitterly during the law's drafting about who would pick up the costs they could no longer bill to patients..My brand name drug is supposed to go generic this year. Will my drug plan cover the generic and if so will I be notified?.The survey, which was conducted from mid - January to mid-February of this year, asked the following "How has the coronavirus - caused recession affected the value of your retirement savings as of December 31, 2020?" Some 18 percent of survey participants reported that they had no retirement savings at all. Of those with retirement savings, 48 percent reported that the value of their retirement savings was still down on December 31, 2020 from the ending value on December 31, 201Thirty-one percent reported that their savings had recovered to about the same value as on December 31, 201Only 22 percent reported that their savings had increased by December 31, 2020. Of this group, only 9 percent said their savings had increased by more than 10 percent.