All posts by rebecca

Position Paper: Debt Commission Legislation Fast Tracks Cuts to Social Security and Medicare

Social Security and Medicare have been the foundation of retirement security for generations of Americans, providing income and health care to millions. Americans earn these benefits, contributing to them with every paycheck. On January 18, 2024 the House Budget Committee pass... Read more

House Budget Committee Advances “Fiscal Commission” Legislation

On Thursday, the House Budget Committee approved three pieces of legislation that pave the way for cuts to Social Security and Medicare: the Fiscal Commission Act (H.R. 5779), the Fiscal State of the Nation Act (H.R. 6952), and the Debt-to-GDP Transparency and Stabilization Act (... Read more

Tell Congress to Expand Social Security

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KFF Health News: America’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Surge of Seniors With Disabilities

The number of older adults with disabilities — difficulty with walking, seeing, hearing, memory, cognition, or performing daily tasks such as bathing or using the bathroom — will soar in the decades ahead, as baby boomers enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s. But the health care ... Read more

Hearing Aids May Boost Longevity But Must Be Used Regularly

A new study has found that restoring hearing loss with hearing aids may lengthen people's lives. Dr. Janet Choi, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine of USC, wanted to evaluate whether restoring hearing with hearing aids could increase the chances of living longer, so she an... Read more

Pharmaceutical Corporations Expected to Raise Prices on Over 500 Drugs This Month

Some of the largest American pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Sanofi, and Takeda Pharmaceutical, plan to raise prices on over 500 drugs starting this month according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. The price hikes will affect over 140 bran... Read more

220 People Finished Paying Social Security Taxes on New Year’s Day

Just a few hours into 2024, more than 220 Americans, including SpaceX/Tesla/X’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, paid all their Social Security taxes for the year. This comes in sharp contrast to the over 160 million American workers who will continue to pay Social Security... Read more

Lower Insulin Prices, Out-of-Pocket Cost Caps for Medicare Beneficiaries Kick Off 2024

Medicare beneficiaries will see a wide array of cost-saving benefits in the new year. Thanks to the Biden Administration, seniors will continue to pay no more than the monthly cap of $35 for insulin, and vaccines under Part D will be free. Going forward, if a beneficiary’s d... Read more

KFF Health News: Deep Flaws in FDA Oversight of Medical Devices, and Patient Harm, Exposed in Lawsuits and Records

Living with diabetes, Carlton “PeeWee” Gautney Jr. relied on a digital device about the size of a deck of playing cards to pump insulin into his bloodstream. The pump, manufactured by device maker Medtronic, connected plastic tubing to an insulin reservoir, which Gautney s... Read more