Many folks may have heard the terrible news over the last day: overall inflation is declining (driven mainly by falling prices at the pump) and as such 65 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits won’t be getting a COLA in 2016.
Outside of the insanity of including gas prices in this particular metric, this is a huge blow to America’s seniors who are already being hit hard by rapidly rising medication prices. In fact, drug prices have outpaced the rate of inflation by double digits over the last decade. Many seniors are feeling the pinch, and the news of no increase in the $1300/month max SS benefit doesn’t help.
So… seniors already struggling to pay for overpriced health maintenance medications are getting the shaft AGAIN.
Meanwhile…Pharmaceutical companies continue to reap massive profits.
Congress still isn’t doing their job – though some are trying (see Senators McCain, Klobuchar, and Sanders, and Reps Pingree, Rohrabacher, and Cummings). Silly political wrangling and manufactured crises in DC continue to take up all the time and oxygen… and America’s seniors suffer the most.
It is beyond time to address the outrageous drug price increases in this country. We need action from Congress and we need angry Americans to speak out!
Get on the phone, attend a campaign rally, and/or write your elected officials. Tell them enough is enough! Demand action!
Comments