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.
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.
Social Security Comish Would Consider Raising Retirement Age
Despite Trump’s pledge not to cut Social Security, administration officials keep letting the real agenda slip out. First, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted that privatizing Social Security was on the table. Now, Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano says he’s open to the idea of raising the retirement age. (The current full retirement age is 67; congressional Republicans have floated proposals to raise it as high as 70.) In an interview on Fox Business News last week, host Maria Bartiromo asked Bisignano if he’d “consider raising the retirement age,” to which the commissioner replied, “I think everything’s being considered.”
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Hopes that Senate Would Mitigate Medicaid & SNAP Cuts Have Been Dashed
Many who analyzed the reconciliation bill narrowly approved by the House of Representatives in a 215-214 vote on May 22nd hoped that the U.S. Senate would temper unaffordable tax cuts for the wealthy — and avoid slashing Medicaid and SNAP. Those hopes have been dashed by Senate Republicans on the Finance and Agriculture Committees, who propose to end Medicaid and SNAP as we know them – as lifelines for millions of Americans across the country who need reliable access to basic health care and food to survive.
Trump/DOGE Actions Fuel Surge in Social Security Claims
More Americans are suddenly filing for Social Security earlier than planned --- and it isn’t necessarily because they’re eager to retire. Interference in the Social Security system by Trump, Musk and DOGE has triggered a wave of public panic about the future of the program. For many, it’s created a sense of urgency to claim benefits before any other harmful changes are made. According to CBS News, early Social Security claims have surged by 17% this year compared to the same period in 2024. If this trend continues, annual filings are on track to reach 4 million. This spike comes amid the slashing of workforce and resources at the Social Security Administration under the guise of hunting for ‘waste and fraud.’
The Devastating Consequences of GOP Medicaid Cuts
House Republicans have taken another major step toward gutting the Medicaid program to pay for tax cuts largely benefitting their wealthy donors. On May 14, the GOP-controlled House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved budget legislation that slashes Medicaid funding by a jaw-dropping $717 billion over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the Republican budget could strip health coverage from at least 13.7 million people. “Republicans are cutting them adrift, with no place else to turn for medical care except perhaps the emergency room,” says NCPSSM President Max Richtman, who labeled it “the most massive cut in Medicaid’s 60-year history.”
Don’t Claim Social Security Early Because of Trump & Musk
Many Americans nearing retirement age are understandably nervous about the future of Social Security under the Trump/Musk regime. Some people are claiming benefits early to hedge their bets against potential cuts or disruptions. The number of people filing for first time benefits jumped from roughly 500,000 in March of 2024 to 580,000 this year. These early filers are right to be concerned.
Trump Wants to Reclassify Social Security Staffers as Political Appointees
The Trump administration is again targeting the Social Security Administration (SSA) with changes that could undermine its mission. President Trump seeks to replace career civil servants at federal agencies (including SSA) with politically loyal appointees, using a classification known as “Schedule F.” This reclassification is designed to boost the president's control over career federal staffers by removing their civil service protections and making them easier to fire.
Trump Hands Big Pharma a Gift, Undermines Seniors
President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order that dilutes Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices. Though