NATIONAL RETIREES LEGISLATIVE NETWORK banner

logo

 

LISTEN TO or WATCH OUR LATEST EPISODE

Click here to see other videos available in our library


ep 8

NRLN discusses Need to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices /Episode 8



buttons
NRLN Facebook Page Support AREF's Work Write Personal Email
to Your Members of Congress Sign Up to Receive Important Messages
or Update Your Email Address Respond
to an ACTION ALERT Support NRLN's Work

 


Bill Kadereit, pres

PRESIDENT'S

          FORUM

We are committed to keeping you informed about your retiree benefits, pension funds, medical and drug costs and the truth about Medical Advantage Plans. This column features a current topic on these issues. (click here for previous FORUM articles )

Podcast on Need to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices

The NRLN has published podcast Episode #8, the first production when I have hosted a guest. Joining me for the dialogue was Ed Beltram, NRLN Vice President – Communications, who has researched and written the NRLN whitepaper: Congress and President Must Act to Reduce Price of Prescription Drugs Talk Is Cheap – Drugs Are Not!

Episode 8 is available at the top of this page in the middle of the header.

Ed and I discussed that for all the bipartisan talk on drug prices by members of Congress, there has been little done in the way of legislation to stem the increases in prescription drug prices and lower out-of-pocket costs. The 64 million Americans on Medicare are caught in the terrible perfect storm of prescription drug price gouging. They are taking more expensive medications while living on fixed incomes. Even with their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan they are paying substantial out-of-pocket costs. This means that they especially feel the pain of pharmaceutical companies’ relentless price increases.

We cited the bills in Congress that the NRLN has lobbied for that would remove the prohibition on Medicare negotiating drug prices; end pay-for-delay a tactics that obstructs generic drugs from coming to market, and allow importation of less expensive drugs from Canada.

We also discuss the executive orders that President Trump has issued that his Administration believes would reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

With only a few days remaining in the 116th Congress (2019 and 2020), the prescription drug bills that the NRLN has supported will not be passed. However, we will lobby for reintroduction of the key bills early in the 117th Congress (2021 and 2022) that begins on January 3, 2021.

Remember, Seniors are Special!

Bill Kadereit, President
National Retiree Legislative Network

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

  • SUBSCRIBE to receive periodic emails,
  • ACT on NRLN Action Alerts,
  • CONTRIBUTE to NRLN’s lobby effort, or
  • Make a tax-deductible DONATION to our American Retirees Education Foundation (AREF) research

 

PHARMA CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONGRESS

money How much did your U.S. Representatives and Senators take as campaign contributions from the Pharmaceutical and Health Products Industry for their recent election campaigns and the current 2019-20 one? Could this be a reason why bills to reduce the price of prescription drugs are not being passed? Click here to see data that the NRLN has compiled from OpenSecrets.Org, Center for Responsive Politics. All Senators and Representatives are now shown by state and amount for ease of reviewing your state's delegation.

 

report card NRLN Provides New “Report Card” Feature on Members of Congress

The Final 116th Congress Report Cards have been issued by state delegation. Take a look to see how your's did.

Do your Senators or Representative support bills that help retirees? Check it out here!


Tell Your Senators Amending Section 420 Transfer Rule Is Win-Win

The Senate has a unique opportunity to take a win-win action with the COVID-19 legislation. Click here for the NRLN Action Alert to urge your Senators to protect the healthcare and life insurance benefits for single employer defined benefit pension participants by adopting the NRLN’s proposed amendment to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 420.

LISTEN TO or WATCH OUR LATEST EPISODE videos

All episodes are available here.

 

CBS Video Addresses Questions on Coronavirus Vaccine

Dr. David B. Agus, professor of medicine at the University of Southern California and medical contributor to CBS News, answers questions in a CBS video about the coronavirus vaccine. Click here to access the CBS video. The NRLN is not offering the video for medical advice but thought the video offers coverage that relates to a wide variety of possible situations and questions many of us may have. Consult with your physician and other sources about specific questions as more information develops.

 

amazon smile AmazonSmile Program to Benefit the American Retirees Education Program (AREF)

The NRLN board created the American Retiree Education Foundation (AREF) in 2014 as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible, nonprofit education foundation to expand the research and educational reach of the NRLN and to enable NRLN to sharpen its focus as an organization lobbying for the passage of federal legislation and regulations that benefit retirees.

For example, the white paper on Protecting Pension Assets which is used to educate members of Congress on the need for legislation to prevent pension plan sponsors from using plan assets for non-pension expenses was funded by AREF.. Access the white paper here.

You can help fund the AREF without costing you anything extra when you make a purchase online from Amazon through its AmazonSmile program. Click here to learn more about AmazonSmile.

 

Adobe® Reader® is required to view some documents. Please download free copy by clicking here.

 

NRLN members are saving big with the Free Health Savings Rx Card℠

The NRLN has arranged to offer you a Health Savings Rx Card™, at NO COST, that offers you and your family savings on prescription drugs, plus vision and hearing services and products.Click here to access the Rx Savings Card℠ website.

 

If you did not receive an email with the NRLN President’s Forum message or an Action Alert posted on this home page, possibly you mistakenly “unsubscribed” on one of our emails or you have a new email address. You will no longer hear from us unless you “re-subscribe”. To "subscribe" or “re-subscribe”, click here.

review focus

READ THE LATEST ISSUES OF REVIEW AND FOCUS HERE

IN THE NEWS...

The articles and opinion pieces below are for information and are not necessarily a reflection of the NRLN’s position on issues. The NRLN is nonpartisan and its positions on retirement issues are presented in its Legislative Agenda and white papers that can be accessed from the Legislative Agenda tab.

Don’t Hold Out: Officials Voice Confidence In All Three Available Vaccines
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Mar 01, 2021

Medicare Cuts Loom If Relief Bill Passes And Waiver Isn't Approved
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Mar 01, 2021

Required minimum distributions on retirement plans are back — and different
By Andrew Osterland; CNBC ~ Mar 01, 2021

Pension Relief Plan in COVID-19 Stimulus Bill That Passes House
By Sarah Min; Chief Investment Officer ~ Mar 01, 2021

The Latest: First US J&J vaccine doses shipping Sunday night
The Associated Press ~ Feb 28, 2021

The unkindest cut: Decline in staff equals decline in Social Security service
From Tom Margenau; Dallas Morning News ~ Feb 28, 2021

Covid relief bill may trigger $36 billion cut to Medicare, higher student loan fees
By Greg Iacurci; CNBC ~ Feb 27, 2021

Tax provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act
By Alistair M. Nevius, J.D.; Journal of Accountancy ~ Feb 27, 2021

Social Security and Medicare may experience their own COVID-19 side effects, experts say
From Stacey Burling ; The Philadelphia Inquirer ~ Feb 27, 2021

F.D.A. Expert Panel Endorses Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine
By Carl Zimmer & Noah Weiland; The New York Times ~ Feb 26, 2021

White House planning to forecast vaccine shipments months in advance
By Rachel Roubein; Politico ~ Feb 25, 2021

Retirees eager to travel should check their Medicare coverage before hitting the road
By Sarah O’Brien; CNBC ~ Feb 25, 2021

Industry Voices—Medicare is going bankrupt. Biden will have to do something to ensure its solvency
By Sally C. Pipes; FierceHealthcare ~ Feb 24, 2021

Opinion: Don’t Let ‘Anchoring’ Sink Your Retirement Strategy
From Jonathan I. Shenkman; Forbes ~ Feb 24, 2021

Stimulus checks, SSDI, SSI: Would you be eligible for a third payment, everything else to know
By Alison DeNisco Rayome; CNET ~ Feb 24, 2021

Tax Season Will Look Different This Year. Here Is What You Need to Know
By Kemberley Washington; Forbes ~ Feb 23, 2021

Drug executives: Big jump in vaccine supply is coming soon
By Matthew Perrone & Lauran Neergaard; The Associated Press ~ Feb 23, 2021

The $1.9 Trillion Biden Stimulus Plan Is Moving Forward. Here Are the Biggest Parts of It.
By Jonathan Nicholson, MW; Barron’s ~ Feb 23, 2021

Debate heats up over vaccinating more people with just one dose
By Peter Sullivan; The Hill ~ Feb 22, 2021

Working to save America’s pensions
From Sherrod Brown; Sidney Daily News ~ Feb 22, 2021 News

Changes Must Come To Social Security
From Bob Carlson; Forbes ~ Feb 22, 2021

SURVEY RESULTS: Importing Prescription Drugs Saves Americans an Average $2.7k/Yr
Press Release, KTVN.Com – Feb 22, 2021

Democrats plan crackdown on rising drug costs
By Jessie Hellmann; The Hill ~ Feb 21, 2021

Walmart may roll back its ambitious push into healthcare
By Ayla Ellison; Becker’s Hospital Review ~ Feb 19, 2021

This is how Social Security benefits are handled at death
By Sarah O’Brien; CNBC ~ Feb 20, 2021

Medicare Cuts Payment to 774 Hospitals Over Patient Complications
By Jordan Rau; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 19, 2021

Report: Obama administration veteran Fowler tapped to head CMMI
By Robert King; FierceHealthcare ~ Feb 19, 2021

Half of U.S. adults over 75 use aspirin, statins, study finds
By Brian P. Dunleavy; United Press International ~ Feb 18, 2021

Opinion: Drug prices are rising faster than seniors can keep up
From Paul Brandus; MarketWatch ~ Feb 18, 2021

Biden picks Brooks-LaSure to run Medicare, Medicaid agency
By Adam Cancryn, Susannah Luthi & Rachel Roubein; Politico ~ Feb 17, 2021

Too High? Too Low? One Thing’s For Sure: The Covid Relief Bill Is About Far More Than Covid Relief
From Elizabeth Bauer; Forbes ~ Feb 17, 2021

Opinion: The one-two punch to knock out high drug prices
From Stephen Salant & Gabriel Levitt; The Hill ~ Feb 17, 2021

Democratic drive for Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan could leave progressive priorities behind
By Richard Cowan & Makini Brice; Reuters ~ Feb 17, 2021

An eBay gift card scam is running wild. This is how to avoid it
By Michelle Couch-Friedman; Elliott Advocacy ~ Jan 22, 2021

Biden opens special new ACA enrollment period; to run until May
By Clyde Hughes; United Press International ~ Feb 15, 2021

Here Are Some Tips for Seniors Looking to Get a Covid Vaccine
By Jessica Hall; Barron’s ~ Feb 15, 2021

How to Cut the Cord on Cable
By Cheryl Winokur Munk; Barron’s ~ Feb 13, 2021

Biden’s stimulus gamble: Massive cuts to Medicare, farm aid
By Caitlin Emma; Politico ~ Feb 13, 2021

Dreading Your Pandemic Tax Return? Answers to Your Most-Asked Tax Questions for 2020.
By Janet H. Cho; Bloomberg ~ Feb 12, 2021

As Millions Get Shots, F.D.A. Struggles to Get Safety Monitoring System Running
By Sheila Kaplan; The New York Times ~ Feb 12, 2021

When Will Vaccines Be Open To All? Fauci Predicts April
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 12, 2021

As Drug Prices Keep Rising, State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Them
By Harris Meyer; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 12, 2021

The American Rescue Plan and Multiemployer Pensions
By Gordon Gray; American Action Forum ~ Feb 11, 2021

Drug Prices by Committee: One Way Biden Could Lower Costs
By Austin Frakt; The New York Times ~ Feb 11, 2021

Social Security scam calls use false claims of Social Security Number theft to steal money
By Jason Knowles & Ann Pistone; Eyewitness News ~ Feb 10, 2021

Budget reconciliation may be the only hope for lower drug prices
From Tim Lash; The Hill ~ Feb 10, 2021

Democrats Proposed Changes to Obamacare Do Not Address High Health Care Costs
By Nicole Fallert; Newsweek ~ Feb 10, 2021

Medicare payment for physician-administered (Part B) drugs: The interim final rule and a better way forward
From Paul B. Ginsburg & Steven M. Lieberman; Brookings ~ Feb 10, 2021

Medicaid, Drug-Pricing Measures To Be Added To Sweeping Stimulus Bill
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 10, 2021

Third stimulus check update: House Democrats’ new plan wouldn’t lower eligibility for $1,400 checks
By Lance Lambert & Anne Sraders; Fortune ~ Feb 09, 2021

Democrats Agree On Income Cutoffs For Relief Checks
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 09, 2021

2020 Tax Guide: Everything You Need to Know
By Leslie Gaydos; NBC10Boston ~ Feb 09, 2021

Opinion: What will low interest rates do to retirement savings?
From Alicia H. Munnel; MarketWatch ~ Feb 09, 2021

Pfizer Speeds Up Vaccine Production; Fauci Sees End To Shortages
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 08, 2021

The Best Ways To Negotiate Medical Debt
From Nicole Lapin; Forbes ~ Feb 08, 2021

With 4 days until tax season, IRS issues warning about 'ghost tax return preparers'
By Samantha Chatman; WABC-TV ~ Feb 08, 2021

Opinion: Americans are wondering: Will I get the vaccine or the virus first?
From Jhodie-Ann Williams & Jane Greenway Carr; CNN ~ Feb 06, 2021

Calls grow for US to rely on rapid tests to fight pandemic
By Matthew Perrone; The Associated Press ~ Feb 06, 2021

Senate Moves Stimulus Bill Forward, Agrees to Restrict High Earners From Getting Checks
By Christy Bieber ; The Motley Fool ~ Feb 06, 2021

White House Announces Six New Companies Will Produce At-Home Coronavirus Tests, DOD Will Send Troops To Help Vaccinate Public
By Christian Datoc; Daily Caller ~ Feb 05, 2021

J&J Submits Single-Shot Vaccine To FDA For Emergency Use Review
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 05, 2021

What to Do if Alzheimer’s Strikes
By Reshma Kapadia; Barron’s ~ Feb 05, 2021

Senate Approves Relief Package, Dismisses Minimum Wage Hike
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 05, 2021

Walsh Pledges to Help Solve Multiemployer Pension Crisis
By Ted Godbout; ASPPA ~ Feb 05, 2021

‘Cruel’ Digital Race For Vaccines Leaves Many Seniors Behind
By Will Stone; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 04, 2021

Biden Open To Stimulus Check Limits; House Vote Paves Path For Big Bill
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 04, 2021

Feds To Start Shipping Vaccines Directly To Pharmacies
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 03, 2021

Medical house call startup Heal expands to 4 new markets as demand for in-home doctor visits grows
By Brian T. Horowitz; FierceHealthcare ~ Feb 03, 2021

Medicare Increases Access to Care, Affordability for Seniors
By Kelsey Waddill; HealthPayer Intelligence ~ Feb 03, 2021

Want to age at home instead of a nursing home? Consider this first
By Alessandra Malito; MarketWatch ~ Feb 03, 2021

Democrats risk unintended Medicare cuts if they pass partisan Covid relief
By Sahil Kapur; NBC News ~ Feb 01, 2021

When Your Chance for a Covid Shot Comes, Don’t Worry About the Numbers
By Arthur Allen & Liz Szabo; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 01, 2021

Biden Administration Delays Trump’s Drug Pricing Rebate Rule For A Year
Via KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Feb 01, 2021

Biden’s Healthcare Agenda In 2021: Shoring Up The Affordable Care Act

From Joshua Cohen; Forbes ~ Feb 01, 2021

Why the GameStop frenzy may hurt retirees along with hedge funds
By Greg Iacurci; CNBC ~ Feb 01, 2021

Dems Move to Pass $1.9 Trillion Bill Without GOP Support
By Brian Trusdell; Newsmax ~ Feb 01, 2021