Latest News
New Medicare Conditions of Participation Provide Some Relief
As part of its effort to streamline regulations and remove unnecessary or burdensome regulations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a Final Rule with revisions to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals participating in Medicare.…
These rock climbers prove a disability doesn’t define them
On any given day at Brooklyn Boulders in Brooklyn, New York, a wide range of individuals chart their routes of varying difficulty up the rock climbing gym’s walls. Children, novices, seasoned climbers, world-class competitors, and visitors looking for a fun and challenging…
Texas to test plan that combines Medicaid, Medicare benefits
Texas has received federal approval to test an innovative idea that combines health services for people with both Medicaid and Medicare coverage into one plan, making it easier to get care and potentially saving money for the state and federal…
February 2018: A possible wake-up call for financial planning.
One of the greatest concerns the general public has is how to fund for all of the costs associated with health care in retirement. The simple fact that this one expense is either not being addressed at all, or,…
Retirement planning: Is your Roth 401(k) wrecking your saving
“Invest your money now, and never pay taxes on your earnings.” Sounds pretty tempting, doesn’t it? But if you contribute just enough to get your employer match, and you can’t set aside any more, you might want to think twice…
Severe intellectual disability diagnosed by analysis of entire genome
Scientists can now diagnose the condition of severe intellectual disability in patients by looking at their genes, even in those for whom all other genetic tests failed to work. These new findings suggest that novel, noninherited genetic anomalies are a major cause of…
Affordable Universal Healthcare and Social Security
Universal Healthcare and Livable Social Security are essential to save our states, cities, public authorities and public education from the crippling and bankrupting burdens of healthcare and pensions and for economic recovery and national prosperity. These entitlements would give our Cities…
Paul Ryan says Medicare going broke
Generally speaking, 7.65 percent of your paycheck is withheld for FICA — 6.2 percent for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare. If your annual pay is $46,000, the average for full-time-working Americans, the Medicare portion of those Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes approaches $700…
Medicare Data Highlight Variations In Hospital Charges, Increased Costs For Common Ailments
The data, released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, include 2012 prices for the most common inpatient stays at 3,376 hospitals. The New York Times: Hospital Charges Surge For Common Ailments, Data Shows Charges for some of the…
Your Retirement Plan Must Recognize Same-Sex Spouses – Timeline for Compliance
The IRS has provided much needed guidance on how to apply the requirement to recognize same-sex spouses for qualified retirement plan purposes. This requirement stems from the U.S. Supreme Court’sWindsor ruling which struck down the portion of the Defense of Marriage…