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Lee Hamilton: Capitol Hill is in need of reform
In 1965, Wilbur Mills, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, brought legislation establishing Medicare and Medicaid to the floor of the U.S. House. That was my first year in Congress, and I remember vividly the moment when Mills…
Free Retirement Toolkit gives tips on savings and benefits
A free tool kit from the federal government can help you nail your retirement dreams. The Retirement Toolkit, a joint project of the Labor Department, Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has advice on maximizing retirement savings…
Social Security: Is the Best Age to Take It 62, 66, or 70?
Bond yields have crept higher over the past year, but Wall Street still doesn’t offer a product that yields 6%, is backed by the U.S. government, and comes with an annual pay raise to offset inflation. A deal that good…
What programs does the Social Security Administration administer?
The Social Security Administration pays retirement and disability benefits to eligible individuals and family members. Widows and widowers and their children also might be entitled to a survivor’s benefit. In some instances, former spouses not currently remarried also might be…
White House reserves judgment on photo Social Security cards
The White House said Friday it had not had a chance to review a proposal, endorsed by former Presidents Clinton and Carter, for Social Security cards to incorporate photo identification. The idea was proposed as a way to help mitigate the…
Prime hospitals defend Medicare practices
In response to an amended whistle-blower lawsuit filed last week, Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. this week continued to defend its hospitals’ Medicare practices, reiterating its earlier claim that accusations the chain systematically reports inflated billings and defrauded the federal government…
Disability Benefits on a Fast Track
An applicant with a medical condition that’s included in Social Security’s ‘compassionate allowances’ program can get a benefits decision within days. t used to be that some people with serious disabilities would die before the Social Security Administration finally got around…
A Millennial’s Case for Fixing Social Security
Instead of giving up of Social Security, Millennials should push an easy fix for the so-called funding crisis: lifting the earnings cap. As a public policy student, I’m used to hearing lively debates and diverse perspectives from my professors, fellows students,…
1 in 10 kids have someone else using their social security number
While most businesses and adults are protective of their online identities, a new study finds cyber security should also be a concern for our children. The Carnegie Mellon CyLab study shows more than 10 percent of children under the age of…
In surprise move, CMS announces Medicare Advantage pay increase
After proposing in February a 1.9 percent cut in reimbursement to insurers in the Medicare Advantage program, Medicare made a surprise announcement and said there would, instead, be a 0.4 percent increase. This is the second year Medicare has reversed proposed…