What We're Reading: New Bill Would Cap Out-of-Pocket Spending for Medicare

A new bill would cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors in traditional Medicare. According to Morning Consult, the bill is unlikely to pass in a Republican-controlled Congress, but could be a glimpse of the future of Democrats take back control after this election. The Medicare Affordability and Enrollment Act, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, would cap out-of-pocket spending for Medicare at $5500, and also expand eligibility among low-income seniors.

The first global effort to stop the spread of drug resistance bacteria is beginning. World leaders have agreed on steps to curb the spread of so-called “superbugs” that are becoming immune to many medicines, reported The New York Times. However, the agreement is nonbinding and has required no commitments to specific targets. Approximately 700,000 people die every year from drug-resistant infections.

A $3 billion donation over 10 years from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, MD, will be used to try to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century. The couple’s philanthropic organization will bring together scientists and engineers with the goal that people get sick less often and are able to better manage diseases, according to STAT. Part of the effort includes $600 million to create a cooperative involving the University of California, San Francisco, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.