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Retirees and disabled Social Security beneficiaries generally have different spending patterns than younger workers. Retirees spend less on gasoline, and a greater portion of their incomes on healthcare costs and housing. The lack of a COLA means that if other costs like prescription drugs increase, retirees have to dig deeper into their Social Security or savings..This week, lawmakers in the Senate held several failed votes on bills that would have repealed and replaced parts of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, two key bills that would improve Social Security benefits gained support in the House..The Republican platform assures current beneficiaries and those nearing retirement that their benefits will remain untouched, and that all changes to the program will aim to preserve the solvency of the Social Security trust funds. It explicitly states that all plans to increase tax revenues like the increase in the payroll tax cap that the Democrats proposed will not be supported. It states, "As Republicans, we oppose tax increases and believe in the power of markets to create wealth and to help secure the future of our Social Security system.".Over the years, TSCL surveys indicate that older Americans overwhelmingly oppose totally replacing Medicare with a system of private insurance plans. On the other hand, the design of traditional Medicare alone has a considerably high level of out-of-pocket spending, and no annual out-of-pocket limit. That leaves an important role for private insurers to fill in the gap with Medigap supplements or Medicare Advantage plans.."According to the findings, seventy-two senators and 302 members of the House of Representatives cashed a check from the pharmaceutical industry ahead of the 2020 election - representing more than two-thirds of Congress, according to a new STAT analysis of records for the full election cycle..their coverage, losing all of the money they paid..Third, the Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 gained three new cosponsors in Representative Todd Rokita, Representative Jackie Walorski, and Representative Roger Marshall, bringing the new cosponsor total to six. If signed into law, H.R. 4841 would allow for and standardize electronic prior authorization for Medicare Part D beneficiaries..The Republicans on the committee include: Sens. Jon Kyl, John Barrasso, and Mike Crapo ; and Reps. Tom Price, Nan Hayworth, Renee Ellmers, Dave Camp, Fred Upton, Tom Reed, Kevin Brady, and Greg Walden..Since it was first signed into law over 75 years ago, Social Security has kept tens of millions of senior citizens and disabled Americans of all ages out of poverty and ensured that they could live dignified and independent lives. I believe that the COLA is an essential part of Social Security that must be calculated accurately. That is why I have fought to protect seniors by introducing the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act in successive Congresses. This bill would give our seniors a Social Security COLA that actually reflects their cost of living.