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☆ What Harris and Trump are proposing for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Tami Luhby | Katie Lobosco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have laid out a broad array of ideas aimed at making life more affordable and strengthening the economy, which rank at the top of voters’ concerns. Both Trump and Harris have rolled out pricey provisions without specifying how they would cover the cost. Though his campaign hasn’t released details on the proposal, Trump has indicated that he would eliminate both federal income taxes and payroll taxes, which fund Social Security and Medicare. Around half of beneficiaries – mainly those with higher incomes – pay federal income tax on their Social Security payments. Harris’ plan would also accelerate the speed of Medicare’s drug price negotiations so that the costs of more medications come down faster.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, hasn’t, Harris, Harris ’, Trump, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Sen, JD Vance, Trump’s, ” Harris, USMCA, ” Trump, He’s, Elon Musk, John Deere, ” Vance Organizations: CNN, Trump, Yale University, Security, Social Security, Center, Social, Rescue, Medicare, GOP, Biden, Republican Party, ” Invest, America, Federal Reserve, American Locations: Nevada, Las Vegas, Mexico, Canada, Texas, Florida, Harris, Midwest

☆ ‘Greed, greed, greed’: Sanders demands Ozempic maker lower prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Meg Tirrell | Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“We are very committed to making sure that Americans have access at an affordable price point for our medicines,” Jorgensen replied. Similarly, Wegovy’s list price is $1,349 in the US, but it costs $186 in Denmark, $140 in Germany and $92 in the United Kingdom, he said. Tuesday’s hearing boiled down to a familiar argument over who is responsible for the US’s higher prices: drug companies that set starting – or “list” – prices or pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen that negotiate discounts on those list prices in exchange for favorable insurance coverage and access. Jorgensen said Novo Nordisk pays back about 75% of its medicine sales in rebates, discounts and fees, so the net price it receives is far lower than the list price. “The broad totality is that less patients have access to our medicines when we lowered the price,” Jorgensen told Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, after she pressed him to reduce list prices.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, ” Sanders, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, ” Jorgensen, “, Sanders, Jorgensen, it’s, Maggie Hassan, drugmakers, ”, PBMs, scot, ” Sen, Tim Kaine, Roger Marshall, Eli Lilly, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Tammy Baldwin Organizations: CNN, Nordisk’s, US, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Yale, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, Nordisk, Novo Nordisk’s, Federal Trade Commission, CVS, Cigna’s, Republican, Wegovy’s, CNN Health, Medicare, Services Locations: United States, Danish, America, Canada, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, New Hampshire, Big, Virginia, Kansas, Novo, Wisconsin

Some sections are backward-looking and focus more on touting the record of the Biden-Harris administration, while also criticizing Trump’s agenda. The health care section of Harris’ agenda focuses more on what the Biden-Harris administration has done than plans for the future. The Harris agenda vows to “fight to raise the minimum wage,” but doesn’t say how high she wants it to be. The Harris campaign would not say whether she supports doing away with the 60-vote rule to pass those measures. The bulk of Harris’ agenda would be subject to congressional approval, likely requiring Democrats to control the House and Senate to have a strong chance of passage.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Joe Biden, ”, “, Sydney Smith, Republicans scoff, ” Sen, John Cornyn, Harris hasn’t, “ I’m, Biden, Republicans tanked, Trump, Karoline Leavitt, “ They’ve, Ron Wyden, “ We’re, ” Harris, Hasan Pyarali Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Republican, New York Times, Trump, Wake Forest University, Republicans, GOP, NBC News, Security, Social Security, Medicare, Senate, Border Patrol, The Society, Technology, ”, CNN, ABC, Democratic Locations: North Carolina, Texas, America

☆ Trump isn’t leaving himself many options to save Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“FIGHT FOR AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WITH NO CUTS, INCLUDING NO CHANGES TO THE RETIREMENT AGE,” the platform reads. “It’s not a genuine policy prescription to save Social Security,” Jason Fichtner, chief economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center and former acting deputy commissioner of Social Security, said of the party platform. The combined Social Security trust funds – which help support monthly payments to the elderly, survivors and people with disabilities – are expected to be exhausted in 2035, according to its trustees’ annual report. Both candidates have painted themselves into a corner by saying they won’t cut benefits, said Biggs. “Never before have the two parties’ presidential candidates been closer in their positions on Social Security,” he said.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, Trump, “ It’s, ” Jason Fichtner, Andrew Biggs, “ Donald Trump’s, ”, Biggs, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Security, Republican National Committee, White House, Republicans, Social, Center, Social Security, American Enterprise Institute, Social Security Administration Locations: November’s

☆ How to Find a Good, Well-Staffed Nursing Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jordan Rau | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Unfortunately, homes vary greatly in quality, and many don’t have enough nurses and aides to give residents the care they need. How do I find nursing homes worth considering? Ask for advice from people designated by your state to help older and disabled people searching for a nursing home. You can also reach out to your local area agency on aging, a public or nonprofit resource, and your local long-term care ombudsman, who helps residents resolve problems with their nursing home. Identify your ombudsman through the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an advocacy group.

Organizations: National Consumer Voice

☆ Fact checking the CNN presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +69 min

CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off during CNN’s presidential debate in Atlanta Thursday night. From CNN’s Daniel DaleFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. From CNN’s Daniel Dale and Ella NilsenFormer President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden take part in the CNN presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. From CNN’s Alicia WallaceFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. Kpler found that China imported about 511,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude in December 2020, Trump’s last full month in office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump “, “, ” Trump, ”, Trump, ” John Kelly, servicemembers, Kelly, Jim Sciutto, Daniel Dale, Kaanita Iyer, Roe, Wade, That’s, Wade ”, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Trump’s, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Will Lanzoni, ” Biden, corpsman —, Hamid Karzai, CNN’s Haley Britzky, didn’t, Priscilla Alvarez, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul –, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Daniel Dale FACT, European Union won’t, Ella Nilsen, Jill Biden, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Adam Rose, CNN US Sen, Marco Rubio, CNN Trump, Austin Steele, CNN Biden, Tristen Rouse, CNN Tapper, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, CNN MJ Lee, Mandel Ngan, Megan Varner, Reuters Kennedy, Burk Stringfellow, Iran “, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, Tami Luhby Trump, CNN’s KFILE, weren’t, Hillary Clinton, affirmatively, it’s, what’s, –, Alicia Wallace, Obama, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, you’re, Biden’s, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s, Viktor Shokin, Shokin, CNN’s Marshall Cohen, “ It’s, Rick Muskat, CNN.So, Morgan, Katie Lobosco, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Jack Smith, Smith, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, I’ve, there’s, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Gary Engelhardt, Jason Richwine, ” Richwine, Tami Luhby, Confederate, Robert E, Lee, marchthat, “ I’m, Elle Reeve, Ralph Northam, Jen Christensen, ” Trump’s, Ronald Reagan’s, Barack Obama, George W, ‘, ’ ” Trump, CNN’s Jen Christensen, Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, …, Alexandra Pelosi, Aaron Bennett, Cherry, Christopher Miller, Miller, Charis Kubrin, CNN’s Catherine Shoichet, ” Kubrin’s, Graham Ousey, College of William & Mary, Erwan, George Washington, Marshall Cohen, ” Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman “, Howard Gleckman, ” Gleckman Organizations: CNN, Trump, Homeland Security, SSRS, Marquette Law School, NBC, Gallup, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, Atlanta, US Navy, Border Patrol, Border Patrol Council, National Guard, Minneapolis Former, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, EU, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, CNN US, Biden, House, CNN Biden's, CNN Biden, White House, Getty, Reuters, State, Medicare, Black, of Labor Statistics, Republican, Burisma Holdings, International Monetary Fund, Republicans, House Republicans, US International Trade Commission, US Customs, Deer Stags, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Justice Department, DOJ, DC, federal, Department, Democrat, Americas, Crisis, Social Security, Social, General Internal Medicine, “, Syracuse University, Center for Immigration Studies, Electoral, White, Nazi, US Centers for Disease Control, Former Virginia Gov, United, China Former, China, Hamas, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congressional, Capitol, Colorado Supreme Court, US Food, Guttmacher Institute, California Democrat, Capitol Police Board, Senate, District of Columbia National Guard, College of William &, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, Urban, Brookings Tax, Urban Institute, ”, Tax, Center Locations: Atlanta, France, Afghanistan, Kabul, Jordan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Yakushima Island, Japan, Minneapolis, Portland, Minnesota , Minneapolis, St, EU, Georgia, CNN's, Washington ,, AFP, Lebanon, Israel, what’s, Paris, China, India, Russia, United States, Ukrainian, Ukraine, lockstep, American, Manhattan, New York , Georgia, Florida, Washington, New York, York’s, Mexico, Kpler, Malaysia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville , Virginia, White, Virginia, Northam, East, “, New York City, Saudi, al Qaeda, Texas, Colorado, California, Trump, Irvine, Germany, Berkeley

☆ Neither Biden nor Trump is seriously addressing the safety net crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“They’re both promising not to tackle the debt,” Ryan said, coming back to the issue that has animated his political career. Trump wants to extend all of the tax cuts, which could further explode the debt without corresponding spending cuts. When Trump and Republicans enacted the current tax structure, they made individual tax cuts temporary and most of the corporate tax cuts permanent. Biden has proposed additional taxes on those making more than $400,000 to address Medicare’s solvency, among other ideas, but does not have a detailed Social Security plan. The dirty little secret in all of this is, Medicare and Social Security are going insolvent on their own.

Persons: Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, he’ll, Trump, ”, Ryan, Republican –, “, ” Ryan, Sen, Mitt Romney, “ They’re, Joe Biden, Biden, Barack Obama, CNN’s Tami Luhby, What’s, won’t, Alan Greenspan, Obama, Republican Sen, Alan Simpson, Erskine Bowles Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Fox News, Social Security, Democrats, Affordable, Biden, Republicans, Democratic, American, Treasury, Medicare, Fox, Federal, White House, National Commission Locations: Wisconsin, Trump, Luhby

☆ Biden and Harris team up for a rare joint appearance in North Carolina to take on GOP over health care
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Arlette Saenz | Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It’s taking place on the heels of a campaign push slamming Trump for threatening to repeal the Affordable Care Act if he’s elected to a second term. Dunn argued the GOP plan shows “the Affordable Care Act is still very much under attack by Republican officials.”In contrast, Biden and Harris are expected to highlight the success of the Affordable Care Act and discuss efforts to expand access to health care and lower prescription drugs costs. Biden’s team also hopes the popularity of the Affordable Care Act and proposals to lower health care and prescription drug costs will resonate with voters at the ballot box. More than 45 million people in total have gained coverage through the Affordable Care Act, according to the Biden administration. Roy Cooper had advocated for the Affordable Care Act provision for years, finally convincing the Republican-led legislature to drop its long-standing opposition.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, mifepristone, Tuesday’s, It’s, Trump, “, Biden, Harris, ”, Anita Dunn, he’s, Dunn, Roy Cooper, Josh Stein, Mark Robinson, Cooper Organizations: Washington CNN, Raleigh, Democratic, Trump, Marist, Union, Republican, Affordable, White, What’s, American, Children’s Health Insurance, Medicare enrollees, Medicare, Medicaid, Democratic Gov, GOP, Senate, Gov Locations: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia , Wisconsin , Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, New Hampshire, Texas, Southern, Georgia, South Dakota, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi

☆ Analysis: Trump on Social Security cuts and a possible TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Trump’s comments on TikTok and Social Security, both in an unfettered interview on CNBC, suggest not calculation, but confusion about Social Security and ambivalence about TikTok. Social Security was a top issue during the Republican presidential primary, when Trump attacked his GOP opponents, accusing them of wanting to take social security benefits away from older Americans. In an ad-libbed and meandering answer during a telephone interview broadcast on CNBC, Trump seemed to suggest that he was open to cutting Social Security. Have you changed your, your outlook on how to handle entitlements Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Mr. President? His answer also did nothing to address Kernen’s larger question, about Social Security and Medicare’s insolvency crisis.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, It’s, CNBC’s Joe Kernen, we’ve, Joe Biden’s, Karoline Leavitt, ” It’s, Abby Phillip, Nikki Haley, ByteDance, ” Trump, ” Biden, Brian Fung, Jeff Yass, Steve Bannon, “ Organizations: CNN, Social Security, Trump, CNBC, Social, Republicans, Republican, GOP, ISIS, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, South Carolina Gov, House Republicans Locations: Trump, TikTok’s China, China, TikTok, Yass

☆ Medicare now negotiating price of drug that costs $7,100 in US vs. $900 in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The annual list price of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Eliquis, a blood thinner that reduces the risk of stroke, is $7,100 in the US. Johnson & Johnson’s arthritis drug Stelara carries an annual list price of $79,000 in the US. Johnson & Johnson declined to comment on Sanders’ report. Medicare launches drug price negotiationsOther nations typically pay far less for medications, in large part because their governments often determine the cost. Those who have yet to meet their deductible and the uninsured may have to pay the full list price.

Persons: CNN — Sen, Bernie Sanders, Bristol Myers, it’s, Johnson, Sanders, drugmakers, Biden, Donald Trump, Sanders ’, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Organizations: CNN, Bristol, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Johnson, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Medicare, Bristol Myers Locations: Japan, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Vermont

☆ Biogen Abandons Its Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Rebecca Robbins | More About Rebecca Robbins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The drug maker Biogen said on Wednesday it would abandon its ownership rights to Aduhelm, an Alzheimer’s drug that had provoked fierce criticism of the company and regulators after it was approved based on weak evidence that it would help patients. The company will also stop a clinical trial that the Food and Drug Administration had ordered to confirm whether the drug is effective in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Biogen’s decision closes out a yearslong saga that generated outrage and eroded trust in the regulatory process for bringing new medicines to market. adviser called the approval of the drug perhaps “the worst approval decision that the F.D.A. has made that I can remember.” A congressional inquiry later found that the F.D.A.’s process for approving Aduhelm was “rife with irregularities” and involved “lapses in protocol,” including unusually close collaboration with Biogen.

Persons: Biogen, Aduhelm Organizations: and Drug Administration

☆ California healthcare provider's move shows pitfalls of Medicare Advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mark Miller | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But Part D prescription drug or Medicare Advantage coverage should be reviewed. Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown quickly over the past decade, partly due to its all-in-one features and lower upfront costs. Medicare Advantage plans can drop healthcare providers from their networks - and that happens when providers and insurers cannot agree on contract terms. The Scripps decision marks a new twist: healthcare systems deciding to drop out of Medicare Advantage. During the annual enrollment period, it is possible to drop Medicare Advantage in favor of traditional, fee-for-service Medicare.

Persons: Scripps, Chris Van Gorder, ”, “, Sophie Exdell, Medigap, Exdell, Mark Miller, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Scripps Health, Diego, Medicare, Scripps, Health Insurance, Program, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, Southern California, San Diego, Connecticut, Maine , Massachusetts, New York, In California

During the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7, people will have the opportunity to choose between traditional Medicare and privately run Medicare Advantage plans in their area, as well as prescription drug plans. Medicare Advantage plans provided by insurers frequently offer prescription drug coverage , as well as extra benefits like dental or vision coverage not provided by traditional Medicare. The federal government also said Thursday that millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits next year. The average Medicare beneficiary could choose from 43 Medicare Advantage plans for this year, or more than double the choices available in 2018, according to KFF. After this year’s open enrollment window ends in December, people will be able to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or opt for traditional Medicare during another enrollment period from Jan. 1 to March 31.

Persons: Tricia Neuman, KFF, Neuman Organizations: Medicare, Medicare’s, Social Security, Services, Social

☆ Opinion | The Aging of America: Facing the Challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:“Can America Age Gracefully?” (Sunday Opinion, Sept. 10) powerfully illuminates how the increasing number of older adults in our country affects everyone, regardless of age, and that, as individuals and a society, we are in denial of our rapidly approaching future. Your editorial concludes by asking: “Is this a challenge we want to handle on our own? Or is it something that we as a society should confront together?”I would argue that the best answer is both. Ageism exists in all of us, and it shapes how we treat older people and how we expect to age. Eighty is not 60, but by being creative and open there are actions we can take to adapt to our new normal.

Persons: ”

Medicare may just be the budget buster that wasn’t. Somehow, after decades of nonstop growth, its spending per person has flattened over the past dozen years, saving taxpayers roughly $3.9 trillion since 2011, according to an Upshot analysis. But the reasons for the slowdown — and its duration — are not well understood. reduced the payments Medicare made to hospitals and to the insurance companies that administer private Medicare Advantage plans. Those changes alone are responsible for more than a trillion dollars in spending reductions, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, or about a quarter of the savings attributable to the recent flat spending trend.

Persons: ” — Stephen Organizations: Affordable Care, Congressional, Office Locations: Columbus , Ohio

A Huge Threat to the U.S. Budget Has Receded. For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Budget news often sounds apocalyptic, but the Medicare trend has been unexpectedly good for federal spending, saving taxpayers a huge amount relative to projections. In a recent letter to the Senate Budget Committee, economists at the Congressional Budget Office described the huge reductions in its Medicare forecasts between 2010 and 2020. Medicare is growing more slowly than ever, but still more quickly than the rest of the federal budget.

Persons: Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, that’s, ”, David Cutler, Cutler, haven’t, I’ve, Melinda Buntin, Buntin, Simpson, Bowles, aren’t, Trump, Joshua Gordon, Mitt Romney’s, “, Sherry Glied Organizations: Medicare, ”, U.S, Budget, Harvard, Obama, Affordable, Senate, Congressional, New York Times, Office, White, Office of Management, Johns Hopkins, Social Security, Congress, Federal, Veterans, NASA, Wagner School Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, N.Y.U, Washington

☆ Column: US Medicare drug negotiations a good start on bringing down healthcare costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mark Miller | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

And in 2025, a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket costs for drugs under Medicare Part D takes effect. But drug costs are just one aspect of the healthcare cost problems confronting seniors. Inadequate protection from out-of-pocket costs across the Medicare program also poses a threat. Enrollees in fee-for-service Medicare can appeal direct to Medicare; in Medicare Advantage, the appeal process begins with your specific insurer. She also recommends that enrollees review their monthly statements that explain what healthcare services have been covered.

Persons: Biden, ”, Hector Ortiz, Sarah Murdoch, Murdoch, ” Murdoch, Joe Biden, Mark Miller, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, drugmakers, Medicare, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Seniors, Medicare Rights Center, Center, Reuters, Thomson

☆ Analysis: Biden's IRA climate bill won't cut deficit as expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The White House estimated, and independent budget analysts agreed, it could cut the deficit by $300 billion over the next decade. The tax credits have been massively popular with companies, spurring new investments and boosting job growth, environmental benefits -- and the price tag. The bill will add $750 billion to the nation’s deficit over ten years, according to Smetters. White House officials say revenue will outpace original congressional estimates, and they point to the millions of jobs the IRA is expected to create. “We’re going to have more deployment and achieve more emissions reductions than we initially thought,” the White House official said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Kent Smetters, Goldman Sachs, Joe Manchin, Manchin, we've, Joe Biden’s, Tesla, Smetters, ” Smetters, “ We’re, Merck, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: White House, Penn Wharton Budget Model, White, Congressional, Credit Suisse, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, U.S, Democrat, Credit, Office, University of Pennsylvania, European Union, EV, Biden, Republicans, CBO, Amazon, Pepsi, Home, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan

☆ What’s in the Bipartisan Debt Limit Agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Jim Tankersley | Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The bill also claws back about $30 billion in unspent money from a previous Covid relief bill signed by Mr. Biden, which had been a top Republican priority entering negotiations. Congress must fill them in by passing a raft of spending bills later this year. The agreement between Mr. Biden and Mr. McCarthy attempts to prod Congress to pass all its spending bills and avoid a shutdown, by threatening to reduce spending that is important to both parties. What’s not in the billThe final agreement includes far less reduction in future debt than either side proposed. Mr. Biden wanted to raise taxes on corporations and high earners, and to take new steps to reduce Medicare’s spending on prescription drugs.

The Biden Administration’s signature drug pricing reform, part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), aims to save $25 billion through price negotiations by 2031 for Americans who pay more for medicines than any other country. The first ever Medicare drug price reduction process begins in September, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) identifies its 10 most costly drugs. Reuters has seen responses to CMS from five of the world's top drugmakers raising legal concerns with the law and the agency's proposed roadmap. Former CMS head Andy Slavitt, who now works at a venture capital company focused on healthcare, said the Medicare agency would have consulted lawyers. One said the Medicare roadmap, which did not go through a formal process with proposed and final rules, could be challenged in court for being unlawful as well.

☆ Weight-Loss Drugmakers Lobby for Medicare Coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Liz Essley Whyte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illustration: Elizabeth SmelovWeight-loss drugmakers are lobbying Congress to grant them access to a monster payday for their blockbuster treatments: Medicare coverage. New drugs to treat diabetes and obesity are helping people shed pounds and generating huge sales for Novo Nordisk AS and Eli Lilly & Co. But they cost hundreds of dollars a month or more and Medicare doesn’t cover them to treat obesity. The law governing Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit excludes weight drugs. If that changed, demand from the 65 million older and disabled people insured through Medicare could push sales even higher.

Lilly has not previously discussed its Medicare coverage optimism publicly. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Such "coverage with evidence development" requirements are rare and historically used by Medicare to evaluate medical devices. Amyvid, Lilly's Alzheimer's imaging agent that can detect amyloid plaques on PET scans, has been subject to CMS' evidence development program for a decade. "It shuts out many patients," said Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, "especially minorities and rural patients."

☆ Biden to tax high-earners to save Medicare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will propose raising the Medicare tax on high earners to help keep the federal insurance program solvent as part of his budget to be released on Thursday, the White House said. Biden has sought to link Republicans to the idea of cutting funding for Medicare as part of negotiations over increasing the United States' $31.4 trillion debt limit. Biden has pledged to offer his vision for funding Medicare and challenged Republicans to offer their own. He would also seek to close loopholes that allow high earners to shield some of their income from the tax, the White House said. These additional prescription drug reforms amount to $200 billion in savings over 10 years, the White House said.

☆ Private Medicare Plans Face Tough New Audits That Could Cost Billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Anna Wilde Mathews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The new rule could prompt Medicare to seek to recover billions of dollars in alleged overpayments from insurers. Federal health regulators said they would implement a tough new standard for auditing the billings of insurers that offer private Medicare plans, the latest sign of stepped-up scrutiny of the companies. Yet the new rule, set to be issued Monday by Medicare’s parent agency, doesn’t go as far as it could have in applying the standard to earlier years.

☆ The Inflation Reduction Act Comes for Medicare
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Casey B. Mulligan | Tomas J. Philipson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden has accused Republicans of scheming to cut Medicare. In fact it is his signature legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, that will lead to benefit cuts and premium increases for seniors. In 2025, under the Inflation Reduction Act, both government subsidies and out-of-pocket payments by patients are scheduled to be cut sharply. But the statute inhibits this third revenue source, which is also subsidized, from increasing more than 6%. That’s hardly enough to cover inflation, let alone compensate for the other two revenue losses.

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