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Forty-one million Americans participate in Part D. Medicare should be able to negotiate drug prices on their behalf just as the VA and private insurers do. Doing so would have the potential to lower drug costs for Part D participants and save Medicare money. For these reasons, I've introduced multiple bills to end Medicare's ban on price negotiation, and have urged President Trump not to renege on his campaign pledges supporting this..A provision of a recently enacted government spending bill restricts Part B premium increases in 202The bill caps the Part B premium increase for next year at the 2020 amount plus 25% of the difference between the 2020 amount and a preliminary amount for 202The preliminary amount would be calculated the same way that it would have been without the bill but would prevent dramatic increases that may have occurred as a result of Medicare Part B premiums growing when the COLA is so low..For frequent updates on the status of the spending bill, visit our pages on Facebook or Twitter..Whether or not appropriators will successfully negotiate an omnibus spending bill before December 11th remains to be seen. If Congress fails to reach an agreement, the federal government will shut down, and Social Security beneficiaries could see delays in their monthly benefit checks. In addition, doctors who treat Medicare patients and other medical providers could experience delayed reimbursements from the government..At my urging, she returned to her doctor and was given a new brand prescription.The problem of how our government calculates price inflation affects more than just Social Security benefits. The consumer price index is also used to adjust many federal programs and other aspects of our laws such as the federal poverty limits and the federal tax code. By growing more slowly, fewer people qualify for safety net programs, or the federal tax code exemptions become less generous over time, and taxpayers pay more in taxes..If I start Social Security this year how much am I allowed to earn? I'll turn age 66 in November. I'm currently working in a job that pays ,000 per year plus health insurance..In today's environment, working together - whether that's across the aisle, across the country, or across generations - is the only way to keep our communities safe. That spirit and attitude is what America is all about, in the greatest country in the world, and that's thanks, in no small part, to the many accomplishments of our seniors..If adopted, the Audiology Patient Choice Act would improve Medicare coverage for hearing services that are performed by licensed audiologists. According to the bill's sponsors, under current law, Medicare does not recognize audiologists as providers of health-related hearing services, and it will only reimburse audiologists for diagnoses when they are referred by physicians or nurse practitioners. The Audiology Patient Choice Act would ensure access to a full range of hearing services provided by licensed audiologists.