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Another bad checkup for the Affordable Care Act
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act seems like an unending nightmare. Desperate for some good news, the White House is justly relieved and celebrating the fact that the government website is not plagued with last year’s disasters. But other…
Best Strategies to Boost Your Social Security Benefits
When you start taking Social Security benefits is one of the most crucial factors affecting your financial security in retirement. The consequences are enormous, especially if you are married. At the same time, Social Security is a contentious subject as…
DO LOW PRICES DRIVE HOSPITALS TO SHIFT TO MEDICARE?
When health care providers stand to make less money from private plans, Medicare spending picks up. The findings suggest physicians and hospitals may be shifting some services to Medicare when they stand to make more money by doing so. But,…
Brady, McDermott Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Medicare Fraud
Today, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced the Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act (PIMA) of 2014. The legislation reforms Medicare’s anti-fraud programs and emphasizes preventing fraud, waste, and abuse…
American poverty is getting worse, not better
When I read Grace Grogan’s column, “Our compassion for children at risk ought to begin at home” I came away with the feeling that this was a one-dimensional view of a multidimensional problem. First, understand that the billions of dollars in…
Social Security Could Bite the Dust Within a Decade
The Heritage Foundation has published a handy graph that illustrates with alarming degree just how quickly Social Security is going bankrupt. And it may be just a decade away from insolvency. According to a new study by Heritage Foundation fellow…
Medicare Tightens Non-Emergency Use Of Ambulances To Combat Fraud Lisa Gillespie, Kaiser Health News
Seniors living in three states will need prior approval from Medicare before they can get an ambulance to take them to cancer or dialysis treatments. The change, which begins today, is part of a three-year pilot to combat extraordinarily high rates…
Retirement Myths and Realities
Continued from last month… 3. Medicare will pay all my medical bills You may presume that when you reach age 65, Medicare will cover most health-care costs. But Medicare doesn’t cover everything. Examples of services generally not covered by traditional…
“High” earners will be subject to additional Social Security payroll taxes
Effective January 1, 2015, employees designated as “high” earners will be subject to additional Social Security payroll taxes. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimated that close to 10 million workers will pay more for the coming year due to an…
Agencies host event to help farmers and markets accept modern food stamps
Federal and state agencies are hosting a merchant sign-up day Thursday for farmers and farmers markets interested in accepting payments from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, recipients and related grants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food…