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Let me be clear: I value genuine research and development, I believe drug companies should be able to make reasonable profits, and I understand that investors expect reasonable returns. I also believe, however, that it is Congress' job to ensure that Americans do not have to live with the fear that they will go bankrupt if they get sick. That is why I introduced the Prescription Drug Affordability Act of 2015 with Senator Bernie Sanders last year. This bill is a bold and comprehensive approach to reducing prescription drug prices in the United States. It empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program; it enhances transparency, encourages competition, and brings much needed accountability to the pharmaceutical industry..Born and raised in Minnesota, Larry Madison moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1987 with his family to pursue a career as a copywriter and account executive at The Viguerie Company, a nationally known political fund-raising firm. After three years at TVC, he left to become head of fund raising for the American Defense Institute, and then for the American Security Council, both non-profit organizations involved in supporting a strong national defense..In addition, according to the CBO's analysis, around 15 million fewer individuals would receive coverage through the Medicaid program, which currently covers the cost of long-term care for one in five Medicare beneficiaries. The BCRA would do away with the current Medicaid reimbursement system where the federal government matches state Medicaid expenditures and replace it with a new formula that would be tied to inflation. If costs grow more quickly than reimbursements as they are expected to, states would likely need to cut benefits, increase taxes, or restrict Medicaid eligibility..While most retirees tend to want to hold onto their current supplement or health plan, concern about rising costs is universal. TSCL's 2019 Senior Survey found that more than 75% of survey respondents favor the establishment of a cap on the maximum percentage of profit that private insurers may earn..Calculating the COLA in this manner would remove more of the uncertainty in years of economic recession and high unemployment and it would reflect inflation two ways - the growth in average wages which determine the average benefit, as well as the growth in prices. The national average Social Security benefit tends to rise most years, because new people coming onto the rolls tend to have higher wages than people who retired ahead of them. Indexing using this method would still tend to ensure a small boost to benefits even in years when inflation is so low that no COLA is payable..To learn how much COLA cuts would cost you, try TSCL's Chained COLA calculator..Rx for Medicare's Doctors' Pay Formula.Indeed, the Social Security Administration does not "promise" a specific amount of benefits, but they do not promise to replace a specific percentage of pre-retirement earnings either. Both benefit amounts and "replacement rates" can change at any time if Congress and the Social Security Administration deem it necessary. Prior to the 1977 changes, the replacement rate was not a stable percentage. For people who retired under the 1972-73 flawed formula, replacement rates grew from 39% to a high of 54%. The new benefit formula led to a lower, more stable replacement rate of about 43%, as well as lower benefits..Learn all your options for health and drug plans by using Medicare's health plan finder FIRST: We recommend using this tool rather than attempting to check plans or insurers individually, which could rapidly become overwhelming and aggravating. You can contact insurers for details later when you have narrowed down your best bets.