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"As the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a race among drug makers eager to develop a vaccine and improve the industry's standing in Washington - pharma's giving underscores the breadth of its influence and its efforts to curry favor through lobbying and donations to the lawmakers who regulate health care..In addition, it appears that public health preparedness has not been a priority among government officials for several years and funding for public health programs has been cut..To learn how much COLA cuts would cost you, try TSCL's Chained COLA calculator.."Medicaid plays an essential role for both low - income older Americans and middle -income seniors made poor by their health care costs," Johnson notes. Medicaid benefits can include paying premiums and out - of - pocket costs for Part B coverage. It is also the primary payer of costs not covered by Medicare, including nursing home care..After passing the so-called "cromnibus" late last week, Members of Congress returned to their home states and districts for the remainder of the year. They will return to Capitol Hill in January to begin the 114th Congress..At this point in time, it remains unclear whether congressional leaders will bring the "Budget for a Brighter American Future" to the floor for a vote, but the resolution does clearly outline the policy priorities of the majority party in the House. The Senior Citizens League will keep a close eye on the movement of the budget resolution in the weeks ahead, and we will continue to voice our opposition to policies that would jeopardize the health and financial security of older Americans. For progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter or visit the Legislative News section of our website..The results of not having a formal leader are apparent. As expert witness Max Richtman of the National Committee to Preserve Social security and Medicare described, disability appeals can take over six hundred days to process and ten thousand people die each year waiting for decisions on their appeals..The chances are high that the next president of the United States will sign into law legislation that reforms the Social Security program and extends the solvency of the trust fund beyond 2034, its projected year of exhaustion. For years leaders in Washington have been authoring sweeping plans that would enact major benefit cuts like reduced cost-of-living adjustments or increased eligibility ages in order to strengthen the financing of the program. But the unpopularity of those plans with voters ensured those plans never went anywhere..Any Toll Free call to Congress on the number will be paid for by The Senior Citizens League.