Require Medicare beneficiaries to pay a higher portion of the Part B premium. Premiums for Part B cover physician and hospital outpatient services. The premiums of most seniors, those with incomes under ,000, equal 25 percent of Medicare's total cost of services, and the federal government covers the other 75 percent of the cost. This proposal would require seniors to pay 35 percent instead - like higher-income seniors do now. The 2010 Medicare Trustee report estimates that Part B premiums at the 35% level would be 9.30 per month in 2012. .Let's assume you are 30 months from attaining your full retirement age of 6Your monthly widow's benefit would be reduced about 11.9% or 2.60 and you receive ,328.80 or ,277.40 per month (,450 - 2.90 = ,277.40). Let's also assume you currently earn ,000 a year. Under the earnings restriction rule your benefit would be reduced for every over the limit, while you are under your full retirement age. Your earnings are ,360 over the annual limit (,000 – ,640 = ,360). Your benefits would be reduced by ,680 (,360/2 = ,680). That would leave you ,648.80 in benefits (,328.80 – ,680 = ,648.80). Social Security will withhold your benefits for 6 full months and you would then receive your ,277.40 monthly payment for six months. .The order would broaden existing federal requirements for government agencies to prioritize buying supplies for medicines deemed "essential" from U.S. manufacturers, rather than companies in China or elsewhere around the world. .The income threshold that subjects a portion of Social Security benefits to tax was first set by legislation in 198Before 1984 Social Security benefits weren't taxed, but a financial crisis threatened Social Security in the early ‘80s providing the impetus for Congress to impose the new tax in order to beef up revenues. The tax increase was sold to the public as a tax on "high income" beneficiaries, and it was — in 198At that time only 10% of Social Security beneficiaries paid the tax. But today, it is different. During the 2015 tax season an estimated 56% of Social Security beneficiary households like yours owe federal income taxes on part of their benefit income, according to the Social Security Administration. .Offsets Complicate SGR Talks ."The bill has been fiercely opposed by Republicans and the branded pharmaceutical industry, which would likely lose revenue if the bill passed, leading to 40 fewer new drugs coming to the market in the U.S. over the next two decades, according to the CBO estimate. .The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is provided to protect the buying power of Social Security benefits from rising prices. Yet for almost a decade, retirees have had to manage their household budgets despite COLAs that have been at unprecedented lows. During this period, typical retiree costs have continued to rise several times faster than overall inflation and, consequently, Social Security benefits have lost one-third of their buying power since 2000. .Understand the type of Medicare options available to you. You can receive coverage for the costs that Medicare does not pay in two main ways: through a Medicare supplemental (sometimes called Medigap) or through a newer Medicare Advantage managed care plan, like an HMO or PPO. Both types of plans cover medically necessary hospitalization as well as doctors' and outpatient services. Many, but not all, Medicare Advantage plans also offer Part D prescription drug coverage. There are significant differences between these two types of plans that affect what you pay out-of-pocket. And those differences are often buried in all the tedious-to-read fine print. .Such logic would be disastrous if it were applied to a successful COVID vaccine. COVID-19 has shut down countless businesses, creating record-high unemployment. And the medical consequences of severe COVID-19 mean weeks of highly expensive intensive care.