Medicare Archives

Let the Drug Pricing Games Begin!

nder pressure from the White House, Big Pharma has been touting “discounts” via Direct to Consumer (DTC) websites. Meanwhile, the Trump administration promises to unveil its own prescription website, immodestly named TrumpRx, in 2026. Prescription drug prices obviously are still too high, though President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 was beginning to make headway in bringing them down. Unlike Biden’s IRA, these latest gestures by Big Pharma and the Trump Administration should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.

NCPSSM2025-10-03T16:12:07-04:00October 3rd, 2025|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Deciding on Part D Coverage, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden, Trump|

Trump Shutdown Could Snag Social Security, Medicare

In normal times, a government shutdown --- while unfortunate --- would not be cause for immediate alarm for people on Social Security and Medicare. But these are not normal times. The Trump administration has made the shutdown more perilous for the most vulnerable Americans because of its campaign to undermine the delivery of both programs --- not to mention the President’s recent threat to cut benefits.

NCPSSM2025-10-01T14:11:17-04:00October 1st, 2025|Categories: COLAs, Congress, Democrats, Medicare, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA), Trump, Trump Administration|

Medicare Turned 60! Here’s Why We Can’t Simply Celebrate

Medicare turns 60 years old today. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law on July 30, 1965, giving seniors a guarantee of health coverage that never existed before. Prior to Medicare’s enactment, it was nearly impossible for older people to obtain health insurance, as they were considered a ‘bad risk.’

Walter Gottlieb2025-09-26T15:59:50-04:00July 30th, 2025|Categories: Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

2025 Medicare Premium Hike Nothing New, Part of Larger Trend

Medicare beneficiaries will be paying a higher premium for Part B insurance in 2025. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Medicare premiums have been rising every year for decades now. The 2025 increase, though, is receiving an unusual amount of attention, probably because of the media’s hyper-focus on inflation in general.

Walter Gottlieb2024-11-18T14:16:49-04:00November 18th, 2024|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Tester Opponent’s Ad Full of Falsehoods on Social Security

Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy stooped to new lows in a recent ad that hit to the airwaves this Summer. In less than 30 seconds, the Koch-funded, billionaire-backed campaign unveiled a series of baseless claims on incumbent Senator. Jon Tester, attempting to misinform Montana seniors on who is looking out for their retirement security. We take a closer look at these lies, and where these two candidates really land on Social Security.

Lucas Kaplan2024-09-18T14:32:21-04:00September 18th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Election 2024, Medicare, Senator Jon Tester, Social Security, Social Security Trust Fund|

Harris, Dems Promise to Protect Seniors’ Earned Benefits at Convention

Along with powerful speakers from across the Democratic party (and even some Republicans), heartfelt personal testimonials, and a music-infused roll call, Social Security and Medicare played a prominent role during this week’s convention in Chicago. Democrats hammered home the message that Kamala Harris will protect senior’s earned benefits while Donald Trump and Project 2025 pose a clear threat to Social Security and Medicare (despite Trump’s mixed-messages on the subject).

Walter Gottlieb2024-08-23T15:58:27-04:00August 23rd, 2024|Categories: Election 2024, Kamala Harris, Medicare, Social Security|

Tim Walz Brings Unwavering Support for Seniors to the Harris Campaign

Seventy percent of voters did not know who Tim Walz was before Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate on Tuesday. As Americans learn more about the Minnesota Governor and newly-minted VP candidate, they will discover that he is a true champion for seniors --- and a welcome addition to the Democratic ticket. As our president and CEO, Max Richtman, put it, Tim Walz has built an impressive record on issues affecting older Americans as a congressman and later as governor

Walter Gottlieb2024-08-07T16:27:44-04:00August 7th, 2024|Categories: Boost Social Security, Congress, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security|

As Medicare Turns 59, We Still Need to Defend It

Before Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson 59 years ago today, nearly half of American seniors had no hospital insurance. Private insurance companies were reluctant to cover anyone over 65. Even fewer seniors had coverage for non-hospital services like doctor’s visits. Many of the elderly were forced to exhaust their retirement savings to pay for medical care; some fell into poverty because of it. All of that changed with Medicare.

Walter Gottlieb2024-07-31T09:22:19-04:00July 30th, 2024|Categories: Disability, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Older Americans, Politics, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden|

Why We Endorsed Kamala Harris for President of the United States

“The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare proudly endorses Kamala Harris for President of the United States. As Vice President, she has championed President Biden’s policies on behalf of older Americans --- including strengthening Social Security and Medicare and lowering prescription drug prices for seniors. She has been in lockstep with the President in his pledge to protect Americans’ earned benefits against Republican proposals to cut and privatize them --- including Donald Trump.

Walter Gottlieb2024-07-24T09:49:38-04:00July 24th, 2024|Categories: Inflation Reduction Act, Kamala Harris, Latest News, Medicaid, Medicare, Politics, Social Security|

Harris Likely to Sustain Biden’s Social Security, Medicare, Rx Drug Policies

As we have noted many times, the President has fought especially hard for American seniors --- by lowering prescription drug prices, strengthening Medicare, and advocating improvements to Social Security --- which is why he earned our endorsement in June. His heir apparent, Vice President Harris, has been in lockstep with President Biden on these crucial issues.