Berna Heyman, a retired librarian who has Wilson Disease testified how she was a victim of obscene price gouging. Her annual co-pay for the drug Syprine rose from 0 in 2013 to ,000 in 2014, with her drug plan paying over 0,000. When she and her doctor applied for Valeant pharmaceutical's patient assistance program, she was denied financial assistance from the manufacturer because she was on Medicare..Members of the House and Senate spent the week in their home states and districts, and will return to Capitol Hill on Monday, February 27th..At age 62, Susan Gross of Barboursville, Virginia, is nearing retirement age, but has no plans to stop working yet. High prescription costs and the need to provide care for a disabled adult son and her 90 - year old mother are other major reasons. With her rheumatoid arthritis medication, Humira, costing ,900 a month, both Susan and her husband continue to work full time. Susan is dependent on the health insurance coverage available through her husband's employer to help her afford her medications..CMS Leader Confirmed by Senate.More than two-thirds of medical practices report that 2019 Medicare payments will not cover the cost of delivering care to beneficiaries according to one poll..As a result, the highest-risk patients were not filling their medication after prices jumped. Those most vulnerable to a heart attack and stroke cut back more on statins and anti-hypertensives than lower-risk patients - irrespective of socioeconomic status..Under growing pressure to reduce the federal deficit, the prospect of major Social Security and Medicare cuts is the greatest it's been in almost three decades. The recent debt limit deal calls for a bipartisan committee that has until Thanksgiving to come up with a plan to cut the deficit by .2 trillion. TSCL believes that the committee would very likely include a change to a more slowly growing consumer price index that would cut annual-cost-of-living adjustments. There are also proposals that would require seniors to pay a bigger portion of their Medicare costs..This week, lawmakers remained in their home states and districts to continue the fall recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill following the November elections to begin the lame duck session. Until then, most lawmakers will be attending local events and holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts..Also, in the days leading up to the election many candidates will make appearances at local events, giving concerned voters an excellent opportunity to have their questions addressed. We encourage you to approach your Senators, Representatives, and candidates to request their support for fair cost-of-living adjustments and other key issues affecting seniors.
