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Over the years, TSCL surveys indicate that older Americans overwhelmingly oppose totally replacing Medicare with a system of private insurance plans. On the other hand, the design of traditional Medicare alone has a considerably high level of out-of-pocket spending, and no annual out-of-pocket limit. That leaves an important role for private insurers to fill in the gap with Medigap supplements or Medicare Advantage plans.."'It's modest in terms of efficacy. It's [statistically] significant, but it may not be observable by the family or caregiver or even the physician,'" he said. "'I would tell them this is not a cure - something to set the expectation that this is likely not going to be a dramatic improvement, but this could be something more subtle.'".The order that encourages importation of cheaper medicines by states, wholesalers, and pharmacies, is an effort already in the works since last year..Supreme Court: Mandate Penalty is Tax, Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, June 28, 2012..Federal revenues are now expected to be .5 trillion less over the next decade. But, Uncle Sam still owes about .9 trillion in "interest" and the money needed to redeem the I.O.U.s held by the Social Security Trust Fund. Paying the interest and redeeming the bonds will necessitate greater borrowing, new revenues - or, benefits would have to be cut..This week, one new cosponsor Rep. Matt Cartwright signed on to Rep. Peter DeFazio's No Loopholes in Social Security Taxes Act. The cosponsor total is now up to twenty-seven. If signed into law, Rep. DeFazio's bill would subject all income over 0,000 to the Social Security payroll tax. Currently, the payroll tax is capped at 3,700 and no income over that amount is taxed. H.R. 1029 would reportedly add another fifty years to the solvency of the Trust Fund in a responsible way, without reducing benefits for seniors..Lawmakers Remain in Recess."Doctors and experts say that improved medical tactics and earlier treatment are helping improve the outcomes for very sick patients, said Andrew Badley, head of Mayo Clinic's Covid Research Task Force..Trustees tend to report the financial condition of the combined Social Security Trust Funds, including the one that pays retirement benefits, as solvent until 203But there are actually two separate Trust Funds with separate accounting. One Trust Fund cannot borrow or receive reallocated payroll taxes from the other without legislative action from Congress - a short - term fix that Congress has relied on 11 times in the past.