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Repeal the SGR and Preserve Access to Cancer Care
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) calls on Congress to repeal the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and replace it with a more stable, rational and sustainable Medicare physician payment system that ensures access for Medicare beneficiaries with…
Why Women Need Higher Social Security Benefits
Executive Summary Some statistics to be aware of: Social Security is the largest source of income for senior women 29.3% of US households (27.3% in Washington) receive Social Security income 14% of single mothers receive Social Security income Women tend…
Disability procedure does need fixing, but VA can’t make it too cumbersome
There may have been no intention to make it harder for veterans to receive disability compensation, but an Obama administration proposal to change the way veterans apply for benefits is doing just that. The shameful backlog in veterans disability claims that…
New ‘COLA fix’ creates have, have-not retiree protection
Congress has rushed to protect the medically retired and survivor benefit recipients from the cap on annual cost-of-living adjustments it approved only a few weeks ago for all “working age” military retirees. The lightning quick “COLA fix,” part of a massive…
Medicare Changes Coming When Ron Wyden Takes Over Top Senate Finance Post
Medicare changes that would overhaul the way the national health care program cares for seniors with chronic conditions highlight a Medicare reform bill introduced this week by Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden. Wyden, who has long been an advocate for changes to the…
Don’t overlook planning for health care during retirement
More than 40 years ago, author and futurist Alvin Toffler stunned the world with his predictions of rapid industrial and technological changes that would result in the information overload we all experience today. At some point decades in the future, aging…
Medical debt: Medicare for All for everyone
Medical debt in this nation is rampant. One in 3 Americans report difficulty paying medical bills. The uninsured have the greatest challenge, but most people with difficulty paying medical bills actually have health insurance. Out-of-pocket medical expenses, before insurance kicks…
Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid Policy: Working Together to Make our Hospitals Economically Fragile
The economic condition of U.S. hospitals is more tenuous than private sector businesses. Citi Healthcare Investment Banking Group reports that hospital operating margins are 2 to 3.8%. These margins are very low when compared to target profits for commercial enterprises.…
Social Security Administration has new way to verify benefit
The Fort Polk Tax Center has previously told tax clients that if they did not have the Social Security cards for those claimed on the tax return they would have to go to the local Social Security office to get…
Boost your retirement savings in 2014
Picture yourself in a retirement lifestyle doing what you’ve always dreamed of doing. Then figure out how you will fund that lifestyle with retirement savings throughout your working life. “It’s good to have an idea of what you want your retirement…