Economic Conditions Compounded Problem .That is why a bipartisan coalition in the House recently proposed two new bills to prevent "price gouging" for "taxpayer funded COVID-19 drugs" to ensure affordable pricing. .He gradually gained backing from more of his fellow Republicans in the Senate, often persuading them one-by-one to make shows of support since last summer. Democrats in the Senate were essential to getting the legislation even out of the Finance Committee, which approved it with the support of 13 Democrats and six Republicans in July 2019. .Major findings: .To see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings during the spring recess, click HERE or call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. .In the coming weeks, TSCL will be keeping a close eye on the confirmation of Congressman Mulvaney, and we will be posting updates about the process on Facebook, on Twitter, and here in the Legislative News section of our website. .In normal political times neither party would allow Medicare to be cut. But because of our current highly partisan times, it would require ten Republicans to join with Democrats to stop the cuts to Medicare with new legislation if reconciliation were used. .While not all generics work the same or as well as brand name drugs, they do work much or most of the time and the savings would be enormous. .In addition, you will need a plan to cover the portion of costs that Medicare does not pay which are considerable, either a Medicare supplement (Medigap plan) with a Part D plan for drug coverage or Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. Spending on Medicare and health insurance premiums comprise the biggest share of healthcare costs, nearly two-thirds of overall senior healthcare spending.