A Resource for Seniors, Caregivers, and Advocates

I am certainly not an expert in international relations, but it seems to me that U.S. leaders view China and Russia as distinct challenges, with each presenting a different type of strategic concern. Russia’s foray into Ukraine seems to be indicate a thirst for expansion and the willingness to use military power to accomplish their goals. China, on the other hand, seems to be willing to concentrate on becoming an economic power to accomplish their goal of becoming a leading global power. While China has a powerful military and continues to threaten the use of force against Taiwan in the name of reunification, its interest in controlling the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer and gaining access to critical deep-water ports suggests that economic influence is also a significant part of the equation. I go through this review of international politics to give you a sense of why I think China’s push for economic leadership is real and it is driving their dramatic surge in prescription drug discovery and development.

Monday, September 21st was World Alzheimer’s Day, an opportunity to sharpen our focus on this terrible disease. Some might wonder why there is a specific Alzheimer’s day when there are already multiple months dedicated to understanding the impact Alzheimer’s and other brain and dementia diseases has on our life. Having a particular day should encourage us to renew our support for the patients, the caregivers and our healthcare system that is central to those who suffer from this debilitating disease. I think having a specific day gives us a chance for action. On this day there are walks, people wearing purple (the ribbon color for Alzheimer’s), education seminars, community events, fundraising, and caregiver support. It’s an important part of the movement to reduce the stigma and lack of information that is often a part of this disease. It also promotes early diagnosis, and is another reason to advocate for accelerated research. Alzheimer’s continues to have a huge impact on our lives, both mentally and financially. I always like to start this yearly blog by detailing how big this impact is.

There has been much written and much discussion concerning the Inflation Reduction Act pharmaceutical price “negotiations.” I put the term “negotiations” in quotes (air quotes to be exact) because they aren’t really negotiations, the government determines the price of the drug, and the manufacturer can either accept that price or have an excise tax which ends up at 95% at the end of the first year. This would mean the manufacturer could sell their drug at $100 and then pay the government a $95 tax, not a viable option if you want to stay in business. The other option the manufacturer has is to be barred from selling their drugs to Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, which would put even the largest manufacturer out of business. The only viable option is to accept the government’s price, which is not “negotiations” but price fixing, thus the quotes. Price fixing has proven to be a failure time and again in our economy and it continues to be true in this case. Just as an aside, I’m wondering when the inflation reduction part of the act’s name will kick in rather than kicking our . . . wallets.

I wrote this week’s blog early in anticipation of enjoying the Labor Day holiday weekend. I relied too much on Patrick Henry’s famous quote, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past”, to guide my thoughts concerning when the continuing resolution (CR) would be passed. I expected the members of Congress to once again use this temporary legislative mechanism that funds are government as a political “game of chicken” to see who gives in first as September 30th approaches. Last year, no one gave in, and they shut down the government for a record 43 days. If there is one thing about this Congress, they are full of surprises. Going completely out of character the House and the Senate passed the CR with huge majorities and it was signed into law. The CR expires December 11th, after the mid-term elections, which is one indicator of how important these elections are. Thank goodness for my ever-vigilant editors who keep me from foolishly relying on history and thinking the Congress would continue to let politics steer them away from doing the right thing. This puts healthcare issues in a whole new light and alters when they will be debated and implemented. But, before I focus on these issues, I need to rant just a little.

Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how vaccines save lives, detailing that because of them an estimated 154 million deaths have been averted since 1974. I thought I had said what needed to be said and had planned on writing about other issues. Yet two recent events have caused me to return to this important subject - the deaths from measles of two unvaccinated persons in Pennsylvania, one of them an infant, and a request for information concerning the changing of some of the categories concerning vaccine guidance.‍ ‍

This is National Wellness Month and it’s a great time to focus on our own health. The theme this year is prioritizing your well‑being by building small, sustainable habits that support a healthier, more balanced life. I empathize with the people that are tasked with coming up with a theme each year for wellness month. You can just hear the leader telling their team that the theme must be precise and meaningful, and I think they have succeeded.

Vaccines are back in the news and not in a good way. The Administration just issued an executive order that narrowed the standing recommendations for immunizations for children. Seniors Speak Out issued a statement that warned of the serious impact this change could have, not only on the health of our nation’s youth but also on the health of America’s seniors. Older people rely on the health of their communities to protect them from preventable diseases but that’s not the whole story. I think I’m qualified to say that the most important impact of this change to the immunization recommendations will be on our grandchildren. It’s one of those universal truths that grandparents abide by . . . don’t do anything that hurts my grandchildren, and this new executive order does just that.

August 11, 2026—Seniors Speak Out, a national healthcare policy advocacy group, issued the below statement following the signing of the Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans Executive Order (EO): 

Tariffs were a big item of interest for a period of time and have slowly faded from the headlines. It’s really hard to extrapolate what impact these tariffs have had on our daily lives, mostly due to the inflation caused by world events and other variables. From a healthcare point of view tariffs were mostly directed at drug manufacturers as a way to reduce costs and to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to America, commonly called reshoring. The tariff threats of the past brought large drug manufacturers to the bargaining table where many of them signed deals on pricing and increased investment in stateside manufacturing. Recently the focus has shifted to medium sized drug manufacturers with talks of possible negotiations. The real news concerning tariffs was the President’s announcement last month that he would impose no tariffs on foreign sourced generic drugs until August of 2028 and then there would be 100% tariff for a year followed by a second year at 200%. The original tariffs were on brand name drugs which historically cost the most but make up only about 10% of the total medications used by Americans. The proposed tariffs on generic drugs will affect 90% of those used in the U.S. which could affect a much larger number of older adults. Before I talk some more about these proposed tariffs let me reiterate why I have always disliked them.

Last Thursday was the day, 61 years ago, that Medicare was signed into law. It was the culmination of a long trek that began in the Truman administration and finally became law as part of Lyndon Johnson’s great society agenda. Medicare has been a big part of America’s healthcare for these six decades and has provided a sense of security for everyone over 65 and for those planning their retirement. The process of developing a program for providing healthcare for older Americans was not an easy journey.

I had the honor of attending the yearly USAging conference again this year and it helped me remember how important the people are who care for, encourage, and provide service to older Americans. This conference supports the nationwide network of Area Agencies on Aging and offers a forum for discovering new tools and methods for supporting seniors and a place to share ideas and experience. I am always reminded at this conference how important these local area agencies are to those people they serve.

We’ve all, or at least most of us I suspect, have heard the saying, “give an inch take a mile” which summarizes the situation where you give in on some point under dispute and the other person expands the freedom to take much more than was envisioned. I think an even more insidious twist on this saying is “give an inch take two inches”. It doesn’t seem like much but in fact the taker doubled the amount that was initially given. If they continue to double pretty soon the taker has overpowered the giver. I can’t see the future, but sometimes I’m stupid enough to make a prediction and when I’m wrong, which is often, I usually stand mute. But when I’m right, I point out the accuracy of my prediction, but in a humble way. Case in point.

Both the House and the Senate will soon take summer recesses, the House starting July 27th and the Senate starting August 10th. This time off was first instigated so our country’s early lawmakers could return home to harvest their crops and tend to their farms. It has remained a tradition in modern times, mostly to allow members of Congress, and other workers, both government and private, to take vacations. Having worked in that environment for more than twenty years I can attest that nothing gets done in Washington in August. Some antagonists think this is a great tradition, postulating that anytime you can keep Congress from acting it’s good for the country. No matter your particular stance on the subject there is still time for Congress to act before they leave for home - and a little time after they return - before all the air is sucked out of Washington with the upcoming midterm elections. I think it will be helpful to understand the existing environment and mood in Washington going into these final months.