Over-the-counter hearing aids bring savings and convenience

Oct 17, 2022
Over 40 million Americans with some form of hearing loss could benefit from the ease of buying a hearing aid at their local pharmacy.
Hearing aids are now available over the counter in the United States.
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Medicare may soon be able to negotiate prescription drug prices

Aug 8, 2022
The health policy reform is part of the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, which could aid 48 million Medicare recipients.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act will save Medicare $288 billion over the next decade.
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Democrats reach deal aimed at cutting drug prices for seniors

Nov 3, 2021
The limited plan would, for the first time, give Medicare the power to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies.
Medicare Advantage plans are becoming more and more popular, but what exactly do they entail?  We got the details from Dr. Fred Hyde, an independent consultant in health care finance and adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
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Who will end up paying the price for Biogen's new Alzheimer's drug?

Jun 18, 2021
The cost of the newly approved treatment will be about $56,000 a year, much of it paid for by Medicare.
Biogen’s new Alzheimer's treatment drug, Aduhelm, has an annual sticker price of $56,000.
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What lowering the Medicare eligibility age would mean for health care

Jun 15, 2021
Among the many issues fighting for space on the political agenda is a Biden campaign promise to lower expand access Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans have seen a number of scandals, Marketplace's senior economics contributor explains why.
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COVID unemployment is causing a serious funding issue for Medicare

Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund is projected to become insolvent sooner than expected — within three to five years.
The pandemic recession has pushed so many people out of work that funding for Medicare Part A, via payroll taxes, is down.
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Biden faces economic obstacles beyond the pandemic's burdens

The list includes dwindling trust funds for Social Security and Medicare and potential bubbles in the housing and stock markets.
Biden will confront "headwinds unlike those that have ever been faced by any modern president," says Eugene Steuerle of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
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For public good, not for profit.

Trump's prescription for lower drug prices hits a roadblock

Dec 24, 2020
A federal judge has issued an injunction to the Medicare rule change, saying the administration rushed it through.
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States scrambling with Medicaid enrollments climbing

Nov 30, 2020
Will a surge in enrollments prompted by the pandemic mean cuts to benefits?
Medical workers walk outside of a special coronavirus intake area at a hospital in Brooklyn earlier this year.
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For seniors on Medicare, there are new offerings that may be appealing during COVID-19

Oct 15, 2020
Some supplemental plans offer benefits that are related to health care, like access to meal delivery services or transportation to medical appointments.
EMS medics treat a senior with COVID-19 symptoms in Houston, Texas.
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