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Drug prices in the U.S. are much higher than in other developed countries, because there are no federal laws regulating prices. In fact, the law specifically forbids Medicare from negotiating prices on behalf of its beneficiaries. Allowing the importation of prescription drugs from countries such as Canada, where drugs are less expensive, has the potential to lower drug costs for both U.S. consumers and the federal government..Social Security benefits are one of the few types of retirement income to be automatically adjusted annually for inflation. In 2020, more than 61 million Social Security recipients received a 1.6 percent annual COLA, which raised the average ,460 benefit by .40 per month..To read our full recommendations to Congress or for more information on the recent budget deal, visit our website at..TSCL will be keeping a close eye on this subject because we know that so many seniors and their families are desperately hoping there will be some new breakthrough that will effectively treatment Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. But the cost of this drug is so expensive, and it could have a major impact on the Medicare budget that already is in critical financial condition..If it weren't for the coronavirus and the start of the vaccination program against it the top news story would probably be the fact that Congress still can't reach a final agreement to keep the government from shutting down. As we indicated in last week's update, they had to pass another one-week Continuing Resolution last Friday in order to give them more time to try and pass the needed legislation..The Senior Citizens League supports the "Seniors Security Act," legislation that would adopt the Consumer Price Index for Elder Consumers, an index that more closely reflects the costs of retirees, to calculate the annual COLA and would ensure that Part B premium never amounts to more than 30 percent of an individual's COLA increase. To learn more, visit..The Social Security taxable maximum is tied to the wage index, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, the limit on the amount of wages that can be taxed has not kept up with the growth of wages of the most highly paid workers. Because wages for high - income earners are growing faster than for other workers, the taxable share of the nation's earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes is falling - from 90 percent in 1983 to 82 percent in 201The trend is forecast to continue, with the CBO projecting the share of earnings subject to payroll taxation to drop to below 78 percent by 2026..In a statement released by TSCL on Thursday, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson said: "Older middle-income Americans could shoulder a disproportionate share of taxes under these changes, and get pushed more quickly into higher tax brackets than they are today … The changes under consideration may provide some modestly lower federal income taxes at first, but the benefits for many people would be short-lived.".Junk fees. Is the loan loaded with add-on products, like "GAP" insurance, service contracts, or credit life insurance? These inflate the cost of the vehicle and loan size, as well as the potential loan kick - back for the dealer.