My Culture My Lens: Daily Digest: Gillibrand bill would cap Medicare out-of-pocket expenses

Monday, July 6, 2026

Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Before you head out or enjoy that morning cup of iced coffee or tea, check out some of the top stories on our website.

Be safe and enjoy the day. — Ron Rosner, Senior Editor

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Gillibrand bill would cap Medicare out-of-pocket expenses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY and ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee joined14 of her Senate colleagues, to introduce the Medicare Cost Cap Act to create a $5,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs for Traditional Medicare Parts A and B beneficiaries. Traditional Medicare does not currently have a limit on out-of-pocket costs, meaning beneficiaries are confronted with unlimited, catastrophic health care costs if they face serious illness or hospitalization. Medicare Advantage, employer-sponsored insurance, and insurance bought on the marketplace all have annual caps on out-of-pocket spending. An out-of-pocket cap would level the playing field between Traditional Medicare […]

Spa City celebrates Fourth of July

Both locals and visitors headed downtown on Saturday evening to celebrate Independence Day in the Spa City with music, fireworks, and community at the annual Celebrate Saratoga event.

This plant extract can make a lethal drug cocktail. Can it also treat opioid addiction?

Kratom is derived from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia.

DEC assists in Bald Eagle population rescue

Majestic and untamed, the Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782. Today, these spectacular birds can be seen soaring across the skies throughout New York State. But that wasn’t always the case. In 1976, there was only one pair of Bald Eagles nesting in the state. To bring them back from the brink of extirpation, or local extinction, DEC biologists devised a plan to reintroduce Bald Eagles into New York and increase their numbers through natural reproduction. During the summer of 1976, DEC workers placed two juvenile eagles in a human-made nest atop a […]

Dr. Randy Cale’s Terriffic Parenting: The Balanced Summer: A Simple Plan for Fun, Freedom, and Responsibility

In Part One, we looked at a common summer problem. Many children get plenty of entertainment, plenty of freedom, and plenty of leisure, but too little effort, responsibility, contribution, and growth. Summer becomes fun, yes. But it also becomes a season where basic habits collapse. By August, many parents are trying to rebuild routines, limit screens, restart reading, restore chores, and prepare children for school under pressure. There is a better way. A balanced summer does not require a complicated parenting system. It does not require constant lectures, elaborate charts, or daily battles over every small task. It simply […]