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Don’t Forget Social Security in Divorce
Typically, the first set of financial tasks when getting a divorce is to compile documents and other information. This is often a stressful time and can lead to some assets being overlooked or forgotten. Below are tips that offer some…
Medicare sets final rule on 2015 payments, penalties
On Tuesday CMS issued its final rule on FY 2015 inpatient hospital payment and penalty rates. CMS is proposing a 1.4% payment increase for acute care hospitals and a 0.9% raise for long-term care hospitals. The maximum Medicare penalty stemming from the Hospital…
Think the National Debt Is Large? Well, the Entitlements Deficit Is Even Bigger
Long-term unfunded obligations in Medicare and Social Security alone reached nearly $49 trillion, according to the 2014 report from the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees. That’s nearly three times the size of the total national debt of $17.6 trillion, or more than…
Social Security Turns Down Lots Of 100% Disabled Vets
Below is a chart labeled “Allowance rates for first DI applications filed by veterans after receiving VA disability ratings of 100% or IU during fiscal years 2000–2006, by VA rating and SSA primary diagnosis body system and selected diagnostic categories.”…
SSA renews computer matching program with CMS
The Social Security Administration is soliciting comments about renewing a computer matching program that is set to expire on January 31, 2015. The computer matching program is with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Notice of the pending…
social security medicare deduction increase 2014
Update 2014 – Social Security Additional Medicare Tax liability on tax … The Medicare Part B. Update 2014 – Social Security Security: Part B premium — most people pay $104.90 each month; Part B deductible — $147 per year; Part A premium — most people don’t pay a…
Social Security and You: When Faced With the Facts, What Do You Do?
Someone once said, “You are entitled to your own set of opinions, but you are not entitled to your own set of facts.” In other words, once you have all the facts about a situation, you certainly can come to…
The Migrant Crisis Could Cost Billions, But Is Border Security Even More Expensive?
The Central American migrant crisis is big news, and the solution is big money. But is all that spending worth it? More important, are there methods of border security that will deliver the U.S. the most for its money? Last week, Texas Gov.…
Rand Paul argues for raising retirement age on I.C. stop
Republican Rand Paul has a story he likes to tell about Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel and the federal government spending $3 million to use the critter to promote the sale of U.S. walnuts in Spain. It’s just one of the…
Retirement Claims Backlog Inches Back Up
The retirement claims backlog inched back up in July, after the Office of Personnel Management reduced the number of outstanding applications to its lowest point in years in June. OPM received 9,101 new retirement applications in July, over 1,000 more than expected.…