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Long-term heart health initiative pays off in Maine
The value of sustained initiatives targeting population health appears borne out by a dip in hospitalization and mortality rates associated with a communitywide cardiovascular disease prevention program in Maine. The program is a cooperative project of local community groups and…
Medical-device tax repeal wins bipartisan support
Proposed federal legislation to repeal the medical-device tax has resurfaced with bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. Republicans have signaled that repealing the 2.3% excise tax, a source of funding for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is…
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…