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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…
Could Your Grandchildren Ruin Your Retirement?
They were your pride and joy when they were younger, and now your grandkids are on the cusp of adulthood, brimming with promise but low on money. Maybe they’ve asked you to help, or maybe you just can’t stand the…
Coming up: What do I need to know about Social Security?
As a federal employee, Social Security benefits are handled differently depending upon the retirement system that one is in. Join our host, Bob Leins, as he welcomes federal benefits specialist James Marshall into the studio, to discuss Social Security and the…
Duly Noted: Delaying Social Security claims
Delaying a claim for Social Security retirement benefits might not be the best plan for some people if it means they’ll have to deplete their retirement savings accounts, William Byrnes and Robert Bloink write. They explain that for workers who…