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I was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 which required surgery and considerable follow-up treatment. I also required extensive dental work during the year. My medical and dental expenses alone totaled more than ,000, and that does not include my husband's premiums and out-of-pocket costs, which were close to ,000. Will we be able to deduct these expenses on our income taxes? We were unable to deduct our routine medical costs last year..In a controversial political maneuver, Members of the House passed a bill on Friday that would keep federal agencies funded through December 15th, but withdraw spending for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The bill is now in the hands of the Senate, where leaders will likely attempt to strip it of the language that defunds the health care law. When asked how he plans to move forward with the House bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: "Any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. It's a waste of time." The bill has also received numerous veto threats from the White House..The difference in drug prices between the two programs is due to two reasons. Under Medicare Part D, the government isn't negotiating drug costs on behalf of beneficiaries, and Part D has no cap on out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs. The lack of a cap acts as a perverse incentive for drug makers and drug plans to get beneficiaries to use the most expensive drugs, because Medicare reimburses drug plans 80% of the cost in the final catastrophic phase of coverage. The higher the cost of the drug, the more drug plans receive from Medicare. Medicare patients who rely on such medications could owe thousands of dollars out-of-pocket every year for a single drug, even when their Part D plan covers the drug.."Already in 2020, the companies' PACs have donated .62 million to individual candidates or their affiliated committees. The companies directed another .59 million to broader political groups like the Moderate Democrats PAC or the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and to other drug industry PACs, including PhRMA's.".This week, in the days leading up to the five-week August recess, Members of the House focused on a series of tax extension bills and Members of the Senate debated cybersecurity legislation. Meanwhile, one House Subcommittee met to discuss the removal of Social Security numbers from Medicare cards, and The Senior Citizens League saw support grow for three key pieces of legislation..Already Senate leaders are making in known that they won't get their work done on time again this year. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby said he's ready to move ahead with fiscal 2021 spending bills. But he told his subcommittee chairmen the Senate isn't likely to pass those measures until after the election, in December. Lawmakers expect to pass another stop-gap to prevent a funding lapse in September..Here are tips to help you maintain your oral health without depleting your budget:.Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage hit a new milestone this year. The highly - loathed "doughnut hole" or "coverage gap" closed this year. But that doesn't mean prescriptions will be free. The co-insurance in the former Part D doughnut hole dropped to 25% of all drug costs. That's the good news. But the out of pocket spending that's required to qualify for catastrophic drug coverage took a big jump, from ,100 in 2019, to ,350 an increase of ,250. That's the biggest jump in the out-of-pocket threshold since the start of Part D in 2006..Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Ensuring a fair, accurate, and guaranteed COLA.