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Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits and Work
Social Security seeks ways to encourage disabled individuals to return to work. In passing Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI), Congress indicated an intent that these programs be stepping stones to allow people to return to…
What You Need to Know About Social Security
The Social Security Office Isn’t Your Financial Advisor The agency does provide information about benefits on its website, and does its best to answer questions in its field offices and by phone. It has lost 11,000 employees or about 12%…
Tester Survey Ranks Social Security as No. 1 Priority
Preserving Social Security and Medicare was the top priority among citizens who responded to a survey by Sen. Jon Tester’s office in January. Tester asked citizens to name the issues they wanted the U.S. Senate to deal with first this…
Retirement: What the New Congress has in Store
A new Congress is in session, and a big question is this: Exactly what do they have in store for older Americans and retirees? Are changes to Social Security and Medicare on the table, as some activists wonder? And, are changes…
Higher Standard Deduction, Other Breaks for Older Taxpayers
You’ve downsized to an apartment, the kids are long gone, and you’re no longer eligible for some of the deductions and exemptions that had helped you lower your tax bill. But for those 65 years or older, there are other tax…
Kicking the SSDI Can Down the Road
Last week, the Republican majority in the House adopted new rules, which if followed would narrow the options for postponing the crisis forming in Social Security. Today, Social Security has two separate systems, Disability (DI) and the more well-known Old-Age/Survivors (OAS). Today, the…
Measure political victory by fixes, not fights
Four years ago, members of Congress broke with tradition by crossing the aisle and showing that Republicans and Democrats could sit together during President Obama’s State of the Union address. In 2015, the American people want them to do something…
Mortality risks after carotid artery stenting in medicare beneficiaries
Medicare beneficiaries who underwent carotid artery stenting (CAS) had a 32 percent mortality rate during an average two-year follow-up, suggesting the benefits of CAS may be limited for some patients, according to a study published online by JAMA Neurology. CAS…
Medicare: What to know in 2015
The New Year always brings a few changes to Medicare. Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect in 2015. The best news is that there are no changes in Medicare’s Part B premium and deductible. The standard premium for…
Tom Price hopes to reform Social Security in House budget
Roswell Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Price intends to tackle big-ticket entitlement programs as the new chairman of the House Budget Committee — including Social Security. In a speech at the Heritage Action for America “Conservative Policy Summit” on Monday, Price…