Tag Archives: Medicare

Jennifer Shutt The Biden administration announced Tuesday it’s reinterpreting federal law to allow Medicare and Medicaid patients access to anti-obesity medications to reduce their weight over the long term. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s proposed rule, which the Trump administration would need to finalize before it would take effect, …

Sara Luterman, Jessica Kutz Originally published by The 19th In announcing a groundbreaking new policy proposal — to expand Medicare to cover the cost of long-term care at home — Vice President Kamala Harris chose an audience made up of people most likely to be impacted: the women and older adults who …

Jimmy Williams The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it has successfully negotiated lower prices for the 10 most expensive prescription drugs covered by Medicare, marking the first time the federal government has directly engaged in drug pricing negotiations. The newly negotiated prices, which will take effect in 2026, could …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams The chair of the Senate Finance Committee said legislation advanced Thursday by the GOP-controlled House Budget Committee is a “backroom scheme” to cut Social Security and Medicare outside of the regular political process, a warning that came as Republicans signaled their intention to attach the bill …

A panel comprised of three-quarters of the House Republican caucus released a budget proposal on Wednesday that would raise the Social Security retirement age—cutting benefits across the board—while further privatizing Medicare and slashing taxes for the rich, a plan that Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups said is a clear …

After securing a debt ceiling agreement that caps federal spending and threatens food aid for hundreds of thousands of poor adults, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made clear Wednesday that Republicans are not finished targeting the nation’s safety net programs—and signaled a coming effort by the GOP to slash Social Security …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Two days after delivering a spirited State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden appeared in Florida on Thursday before an intimate crowd at the University of Tampa, where he pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare and push for Medicaid expansion for …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams The Biden White House made clear on Monday that it opposes the creation of commissions to devise changes—and possible cuts—to Social Security and other U.S. trust funds, rejecting an idea embraced by Republicans and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin amid a dangerous standoff over the nation’s debt …

Republicans who have pledged to use their narrow majority in the House to pursue steep federal spending cuts have sent a clear message in recent days: The bloated Pentagon budget is safe, but Social Security, Medicare, and other key government programs are not. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) expressed that sentiment …

Casey Quinlan, Georgia Recorder Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into …

Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix Republicans are eyeing the debt limit and government funding deadlines as a way to force Democrats to the negotiating table for spending cuts, should the GOP regain control of Congress following the midterm elections. Republicans unhappy about government spending could move to shut down the government, …

President Joe Biden pledged Friday to defend Social Security and Medicare from Republican attacks but rejected calls to support a full repeal of the debt ceiling, an arbitrary federal borrowing limit that the GOP is threatening to use as leverage to enact spending cuts. “The Republican leadership in Congress has …

Progressives on Tuesday warned that U.S. voters should take House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans at their word when they threaten to enact cuts to Social Security and Medicare despite the cost-of-living crisis that already has Americans struggling to afford healthcare and other essentials. In an interview with …

Democratic leaders on Friday blasted a new Republican bill that would roll back modest prescription drug pricing reforms that U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed into law. Republican Sens. James Lankford (Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), and Marco Rubio (Fla.) introduced a bill that would repeal the medication-related …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled parts of a policy agenda that indicates the party would push for cuts to Social Security and Medicare if it retakes the majority in November. A one-page summary of the agenda that House Republicans, led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), …