News

  • S 64 Preserve Access Affordable Generics Biosimilars Act

    To date the government has no comprehensive estimate of the costs of such policies on the Social Security Trust Fund, or the cost of benefits based on illegal work. Nevertheless, Congress is studying a number of changes to Social Security that would cut the benefits of both future and current U.S. senior citizen beneficiaries who worked and paid into Social Security legally. .The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings in the final days of this week's recess: Sen. Charles Grassley (IA), Rep. Lynn Jenkins (KS-2), Rep. Tom MacArthur (NJ-3), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-2), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-4), Rep. Will Hurd (TX-23), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Rep. Jim Langevin (RI-2), and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-5). .By way of a quick explanation, except for special circumstances, any legislation that goes through Congress has to start in the committee of jurisdiction, meaning the committee that deals with legislation pertaining to a specific subject. In the case of prescription drug legislation, those committees are Finance, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Appropriations. That's one of the reasons passing this legislation is so complicated. … Continued

  • November 2012 Pharmacy Choice

    If you've ever had a doctor or other health care provider who you've gone to for many years and who you really liked, but then who either retired or moved away, you can understand how upsetting this prospect is for many military retirees and military families. ."The Reality Behind Generic Drug Inflation," Express Scripts, December 30, 2014, http://lab.express-scripts.com/insights/drug-options/the-reality-behind-generic-drug-inflation. .Proponents of the measure, which include some Democrats, say that addressing the projected shortfalls now would prevent draconian cuts or tax hikes later. The legislation would create congressional panels mandated to draft bipartisan legislation that restores solvency of the trust funds, and the bills would receive fast-track consideration in each chamber. … Continued

Back in April, President Trump picked out a single computer model of coronavirus spread to use for guidance about the coronavirus. It turns out that that model initially had rosier estimates than others, and it projected many fewer Covid-19 deaths. .The program applies to illegals under the age of 31, who entered the U.S. prior to the age of 16, and have resided illegally in the U.S. since June 15, 200Applicants must also be currently enrolled in school, have a GED certificate, or have served in the U.S. military, and be law-abiding. Critics, including TSCL, question how the government will be able to verify when applicants actually entered the country and whether they were under the age of 16 when they did. .Two Key Bills Gain Cosponsors .For those planning retirement however, it is the estimated dollar amount in Social Security benefits, not the replacement rate, that what one uses to determine a retirement budget, or how much more one will need to save for retirement. When one retires, it is the actual benefit amount, not the replacement rate that one must live on. One of the most frequent requests for services received by Social Security Administration is for an estimate of benefits. While no promises of benefits are made, millions of estimates are made annually. If the rules are changed abruptly, as they were for those born during the Notch period, this leaves no time to save for the shortfalls in benefits (if they can be foreseen ahead of time). .This week, talks between three committees – the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee – to repeal and replace the SGR seemed to have stalled. The three committees are currently working on merging their own separate bills to repeal the outdated formula and set up a sustainable path forward. They have until March 31st to do so. Should they fail to reach a compromise, doctors who treat Medicare patients will see a pay cut of approximately 25 percent, which could threaten seniors' access to quality medical care. .Estimating that this new rule would save approximately million over five years, CMS proposes to require Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans to "involuntarily dis-enroll" people who are in the country illegally, something that may prove difficult for private plans to substantiate. ."TSCL's concern is not over taxes collected under valid Social Security numbers," Cates says. "Our concern is over the use of earnings under invalid or fraudulent Social Security numbers to determine benefits," he explains. Earnings reported under invalid numbers most often occur when noncitizens work without legal authorization. But due to a loophole in current law, Social Security uses all earnings to determine benefits, even those from jobs worked under invalid and fraudulent Social Security numbers. Social Security thus pays benefits for the rest of the individual's life that may be based at least in part, on work under invalid Social Security numbers. TSCL believes this policy rewards people for document fraud. .Finally, two new cosponsors – Reps. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) and Juan Vargas (CA-51) – signed on to the Empowering Encore Entrepreneurs (E3) Act (H.R. 4613), bringing the total up to four. If signed into law, the E3 Act would direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to increase training and mentoring efforts for older entrepreneurs. More than 7 million older Americans are currently self employed, but many of them lack the training and technical expertise that is necessary in order to see success. By expanding outreach efforts, the SBA can help empower seniors and enhance their ability to revitalize the economy. .Elmendorf began his testimony by sharing some grim projections that have recently been developed by the CBO. He stated that the economy will likely grow by only 1.5 percent this year, and that next year, it's expected to increase by only 2.5 percent. He also announced that the unemployment rate will continue to hover around the 9 percent mark until the end of 2012.