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To Win Back Older Voters, Democrats Talk Up Medicare and Social Security
Democrats are stepping up their appeals to older voters in the final stretch before the midterm elections, spurred by polls showing the party has regained some support lost in the Obama years. The question is whether they can narrow the…
Social Security reaps a windfall from undocumented workers
ONE OF the ironies of the challenging financial future faced by the Social Security Administration is this seldom-discussed fact: Undocumented workers contribute about $13 billion per year to the Social Security Trust Fund, and only get back a small fraction, adding a…
Ohio Medicare drug coverage prices to increase
Many Ohio seniors could end up paying more next year for their prescription drug coverage. More than half the Medicare Part D prescription drug plans available in the state — including this year’s cheapest option — are increasing monthly premiums in…
Stay On Track For Retirement The Easy Way
The big question hanging over the heads of most everyone over 40 is: “Will I ever retire?” An alarming number of people seem set on the notion that retirement will be optional, as if the work they’ve done for years always…
Retirement savings gap widens between rich and poor
Last year, the typical 55- to 64-year-old household had just $111,000 saved in their 401(k)s and IRAs, which would translate into just $500 a month in retirement income, according to a report from Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research that…
Medicare Should Ax Hospital Billing Settlement, Rep. Says
Law360, New York (September 17, 2014, 5:19 PM ET) — Medicare should scrap plans to settle thousands of disputed inpatient billing claims because the proposal may overcompensate hospitals, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s health panel said…
Harkin promises to keep up fight for disability rights
Sen. Tom Harkin, who is retiring in January, is promising not to let opponents of an international treaty on disability rights run out the clock on him. He’ll keep fighting, Harkin vowed Thursday. Harkin’s effort to win Senate ratification of the Convention…
What Medicare Doesn’t Cover: A Preretiree’s Guide
Navigating the financial decisions of health care in retirement is tricky and, as a recent Merrill Lynch/Age Wave study found, just 7% of people age 55 to 64 say they feel very knowledgeable about Medicare coverage options. The truth is that Medicare doesn’t…
Medicare Follies—The Annual Wellness Visit
Over the last few years, Medicare–the government insurance program for the elderly—has added a few benefits, one of them being a yearly doctor visit. This “Annual Wellness Visit” is a great source of confusion around the office. Patients come in…
Graves’ Disease and Social Security Disability
As the most common cause of hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease is a prevalent endocrine disorder that is often successfully managed by medications and other treatment methods. Some people with this autoimmune-driven disorder are unable to control their symptoms though, and some…