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Although there's a new higher standard deduction for U.S. taxpayers this year, tax professionals are cautioning taxpayers against automatically taking it. The 2017 tax legislation retains the deduction for medical expenses. This year, taxpayers can deduct medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of their Adjusted Gross Income, but that threshold will rise to 10% of the AGI in 2019, so taxpayers won't be able to deduct as much. It would be a good idea to crunch the numbers now, to learn if itemizing and the medical expense deduction would reduce your taxes..that a new prescription is your best option, check your drug plan coverage and.On the other hand under Medicaid, net drug prices are heavily influenced by two rebates that are required by law. Manufacturers of brand name drugs must pay a rebate equal to 23.1% of the average price that manufacturers charge to pharmacies. In addition, for generics, manufacturers are required to pay a rebate of 13% of the average price they charge to pharmacies..When You Can't Afford Your Prescription Drugs, Apply For "Extra Help".TSCL Endorses New House Bill.This week, TSCL endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act, which was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Rodney Davis with the bipartisan support of seventy-seven original cosponsors..As long as all other qualifications are met, and they have evidence of their earnings, like W2s, they may file a claim for Social Security benefits. Others who receive an SSN after 2004 must have work authorization to claim benefits. Yet even people who worked illegally for many years sometimes later change status. That can occur even without an amnesty, especially if the illegals have children who were born in this country. Because the children are born as U.S. citizens, when they become adults they can sponsor their parents to stay in the U.S. legally and to receive work authorization. If their parents kept W2s and evidence earnings, those work credits will be re-instated to their new SSNs. Once they receive work authorization, noncitizens can later file a claim for Social Security benefits..Your wife's survivors benefit would not be reduced and she would receive the ,842 you would have received had your benefits not been reduced due to the WEP. For more information on survivors benefits, visit. Learn more about the Windfall Elimination Provision here. If you receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security, learn how your spouse or survivors benefits may be affected by the Government Pension Offset here.."That [FDA] approval is broad, making no distinction between the mild, moderate, and advanced stages of the memory-robbing disease and setting no requirements for its diagnosis."