News

According to the lobbying arm of the major drug companies, in 2018, nearly half of the money spent on brand medicines went to some business other than the research companies that discover and manufacture medicines..An insurance industry source said Congress' deliberations are "freaking out" companies who worry that seniors will drop their private plans en masse and migrate to traditional Medicare once the new benefits are in place. But the source said the industry is mindful of the optics of publicly opposing coverage of eyeglasses, dental care and hearing aids, and is largely lobbying behind the scenes..But we all must face the reality that unless we continue the safety measures of masks and handwashing, this will get worse..The legislation fully covers the cost of providing the emergency payments by closing corporate compensation loopholes, which provide enormous tax breaks for the CEOs of the nation's top corporations. By closing the loophole, the bill also would add substantial new revenue to Social Security, extending the solvency of both the retirement and disability insurance trust funds..President Trump's budget includes billion in cuts from the Social Security Disability Insurance program over the next 10 years despite the President's repeated campaign promises that he would not touch Social Security benefits. Trump's budget Director Mick Mulvaney justified the cuts, arguing that SSDI was not technically part of "mainline" Social Security, and therefore the President was not breaking a campaign promise. Said Mulvaney, "If you ask 999 people out of a thousand, they'd tell you Social Security disability is not part of Social Security.".Conservatives and budget hawks have long sought to roll back large government programs like Medicare and Medicaid to rein in the debt..Here is a big part of the answer. An analysis by Stat News of campaign finance records shows that the pharmaceutical industry donated to more than two-thirds of Congress as well as 2,467 state lawmakers during the last campaign cycle -- to the tune of over million..Keep good records: If you already keep detailed records of your health expenses for tax or other reasons, good. If not, set up a bookkeeping sheet for all healthcare expenses, including items like dental and vision care that Medicare does not cover. Enter new costs as soon as you incur them, or at least monthly, so you don't miss any. Use these records at tax time to determine if you're entitled to a deduction..Members of the House spent the week in their home districts, and are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, May 30. Members of the Senate will recess next week for the Memorial Day holiday and will return on Monday, June 4.