Given the above story about how Medicare users pay so much more for drugs than Medicaid users, could this be the year we finally win? .Even though Medicare recipients getting these services may stay in the hospital overnight or longer, getting the same nursing care, lab tests and drugs as they would if inpatients, their bill will be calculated very differently. Patients admitted for in-patient stays usually are responsible for the Medicare hospital deductible of ,484 for a stay of up to 60 days. They may also pay 20% of doctor charges. Many people have Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans that cover much or even all of this expense. Outpatient services, on the other hand, are charged differently, with the patient paying 20% of the Medicare approved amount for each service. In addition, the new billing changes would hit patients with "facility fees" that can run up to several thousand dollars to cover hospital overhead charges. And since, prescription drug plans don't cover medication for hospital patients, beneficiaries would be charged 100% of the full retail cost of drugs they need, even those they normally routinely take at home. .That report estimates the Social Security trust fund could be depleted by 2030, five years earlier than the official government estimate, because of the recession and long-term near-zero interest rates triggered by the pandemic. .One of TSCL's top priorities again this year is for legislation to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. It is outrageous that we in the United States pay some of the highest prices in the developed world for the prescription drugs that we urgently need to preserve our health. .You will still need to follow guidance at your workplace. .I hate that we're placing seniors in no-win situations, and that's why I've re-introduced My Seniors' Security Act. It ensures that COLA increases aren't just eaten up by rising health care costs and it recalculates COLAs completely. Specifically, my act would create a ‘circuit breaker' of sorts, so seniors never lose more than 30% of their COLA to Medicare premiums. .The nation's pharmaceutical industry has pushed back against the potential order, arguing that the United States should not shut itself off from a global supply chain. .Not necessarily. According to a new audit report by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, more than 26,000 beneficiaries receiving spousal benefits may be eligible for a higher retirement benefit based on their own earnings, but are not receiving them. Although the Social Security Administration sends notices to widows and widowers who may be eligible for a higher retirement benefit based on their own earnings at full retirement age, and age 70, it does not provide similar notices to spouses who may also be eligible for higher retirement benefits based on their own earnings. .We had no way to tell how much worse these scams were about to become. As a result of this pandemic, our legislative efforts must evolve just as these scams have.