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The House Democratic bill would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and then force drug companies to lower the prices they charge private insurers or impose huge fines on the companies. Pelosi said she wants it to be part of a special budget bill that can pass the Senate without Republican support since it is immune from the filibuster..At this point in time, it remains to be seen whether or not lawmakers will successfully avert the October 1st shutdown. Leaders in the House have already cancelled the week-long recess that was scheduled to begin on September 23rd, and according to Congressional Quarterly, a Senate vote on the measure could come as late as September 29th just one day before funding for federal agencies expires..It sounds like you are very fortunate. Under Medicare, your Part D prescription drug initial coverage limit is just ,3At the price of Humira you would hit the Part D doughnut hole or coverage gap the second time you filled your prescription. According to the Medicare's drug plan software, your estimated lowest cost for a full year, including your drug plan premium, would be in the vicinity of ,036..This week, the American Health Care Act continued to advance through the House, and lawmakers in the Senate voted to confirm Seema Verma as the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services..Lawmakers Aren't Giving Up On Benefit Cuts.TSCL supports the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act enthusiastically since it would extend the solvency of the program responsibly, without cutting benefits for seniors. We look forward to working closely with Senator Hirono and Congressman Deutch in the months ahead to help build support for their important new bill..The Supreme Court recently upheld the Affordable Care Act. While most people understood that the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the "individual mandate," many seniors may not have thought much about how the court's decision would affect Medicare. The decision maintains both new senior benefits and 0 billion in Medicare spending cuts over the next eight years. Here's a list of major provisions that affect seniors:.TSCL has been fighting to stop a payroll tax cut for months because of the damage it would do to the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Last week we contacted both Senate and House leadership in both parties to reinforce our opposition..This week, action on Capitol Hill slowed down as the House of Representatives adjourned for a holiday recess, and the Senate focused on legislation to reauthorize programs within the FDA. Meanwhile, TSCL expressed support for a new House resolution, introduced by Rep. Scott Rigell.