"Super Committee" Holds Second Hearing .Under current law, the Medicare program is prohibited from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies despite the fact that other federal health programs are required to do so. As a result, older Americans enrolled in Part D often pay much higher prices than other American consumers for their prescription drugs. If adopted, this bill would lead to billions of dollars in savings for the Medicare program, and it would immediately reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. .Wall Street economists are in the midst of a growing debate over whether we are in for "the return of inflation." (Oh, go ahead and snort. I did too when I first read about this.) .A husband's death can mean enormous financial hardship for women. Under current law it generally means a big drop in Social Security income, going from two Social Security payments each month to just one. When the husband passes away, the widow gets a benefit that's 100% the amount the deceased spouse was entitled to, if higher than her own retirement benefit. For example, if the couple received a combined benefit of ,400 per month, and the husband's benefit is ,600, then the widow would just get the ,600 and lose her own 0 per month in benefits. .This week, four new cosponsors signed on to Congressman John Garamendi's (CA-3) bipartisan Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) Act (H.R. 1251), which would base the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on a more fair and adequate inflation index if adopted. The new cosponsors are Congressmen Marc Veasey (TX-33), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (MP), Vincente Gonzalez (TX-15), and Andre Carson (IN-7). The cosponsor total for H.R. 1251 is now up to forty-three. .For instance, sedatives such a fentanyl and propofol, which are administered to people placed on ventilators to help them breathe, are made with core ingredients from China. Medicines to treat shock, such as epinephrine and dopamine, are also made with chemical components from China. Antibiotics to treat sepsis, a life-threatening bloodstream infection, are made with raw materials supplied by China. .On November 21, 2017 The Senior Citizens League delivered advocacy letters to caution members of Congress to NOT repeal the medical expense tax deduction. The letters were delivered to Majority and Minority members of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Taxes, in addition to a few other key Congressional members. Learn which members are on the Ways and Means Sub-committee on taxes here. .The cost of additional coverage varies significantly. There are pros and cons that need to be weighed for the type of selection you make for your additional coverage. For example, you should ensure that your Part D or Medicare Advantage plan is selected based on the drugs you take, and the doctors and hospitals you actually use. (A Medicare benefits counselor will check this information for you on the Medicare website.) While the cost of this additional coverage varies, the coverage offered may be identical, and that is why we recommend getting help from a SHIP counselor, who can help you find coverage to keep your costs to a minimum. Medigap insurance, for example, costs more for the premium, but you would have minimal out-of-pocket costs. On the other hand, you might pay less for the premium of a Medicare Advantage plan, and perhaps get some additional benefits like vision care, but you would have co-pays or co-insurance for each service. In Central Virginia, for example, a Medigap G policy may be found for about 0 per month, and roughly per month for the drug plan (or even less). .As far as the other three orders are concerned, it has been reported that consumers may not notice immediate changes since the orders must be carried out by the federal bureaucracy and could face court challenges.