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Although importing prescription drugs from Canada is illegal, a substantial portion of consumers in the U.S. already purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada and other countries. A random sample survey of American adults in 2016 found that 8% of respondents said they or someone in their household had imported a drug at some point, which translates to about 19 million individuals..Tim Kaine is a United States Senator from Virginia. In the Senate he is a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He is one of 30 people in American history to have served as a Mayor, Governor, and United States Senator..There are several types of Medicare Advantage plans, and not all are available in all areas. Many are health maintenance organizations, but there are also preferred provider organizations and special needs plans, among others. Under traditional Medicare with a Medigap plan, you may go to any doctor who accepts Medicare. But in a Medicare Advantage HMO plan you need to use network healthcare providers in order to get coverage. If you are treated by non-network providers, you would be responsible for 100% of the out-of-pocket costs, and Medicare would not cover the cost of the claim. If the plan is a PPO, however, you would have greater flexibility to go out of network, but you would pay higher co-pays or co-insurance. Before selecting any Medicare Advantage plan, check the lists of network doctors, hospitals and other providers! It is not unheard of for Medicare Advantage plans to market to people who live a good distance from the nearest in network health care provider..The practice I'm talking about is known as a "Pay For Delay". It occurs when brand-name drug manufacturers sue manufacturers of generic drugs and then pay them large sums of money specifically to keep their cheaper generic drugs off the market and unavailable to consumers, including our seniors. These settlements can make generic medications unavailable for years into the future years during which those brand-name drug manufacturers can continue making huge profits with no competition..President Obama Releases Budget Blueprint.The Democratic Platform.A report came out this weekend about the possibility of new major cuts to Medicare. This could result because of Senate rules about how many votes it takes to pass legislation..Ask your doctor for free samples of the new prescription. While the supply may be limited, free samples help you and your doctor assess the effectiveness of a new medication. You will be able to learn how well you respond to the medication and whether you experience any severe side effects.."Medicare, the federal health insurance program that covers Americans over 65, is facing an impossible dilemmShould it cover a new and expensive medication for Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts 6 million Americans and for which there is no existing treatment, even though the drug might not actually work?"