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The modest $85 billion US budget deal: highlights
he modest $85 billion U.S. budget deal reached in Congress on Tuesday gives both Democrats and Republicans something to brag about. Republicans can say they did not increase taxes and found additional ways to reduce the deficit. Democrats can say they found relief from forced…
Claims errors, long appeals still haunt disabled veterans
Mistakes and years-long appeals continue to haunt veterans seeking disability benefits even as the Department of Veterans Affairs achieves some success in reducing the backlog of initial claims, key senators warned a top agency official Wednesday. Allison Hickey, under secretary for benefits at…
Medicare beneficiaries have good access to doctors, study finds
As key congressional committees consider legislation to repeal Medicare’s physician payment formula, a new study shows that the program’s beneficiaries have generally good access to doctors.The report, prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 96 percent of beneficiaries report having access to a doctor’s…
Start A New Tradition With Social Security
The holiday season has arrived—a time of year that is steeped in tradition. Different families may have different holiday traditions, but most have roots in a society or culture and thus are observed by many people. Essentially, tradition is all…
House And Senate Budget Negotiators Reach A Deal
Some say the agreement brokered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will create breathing room to allow lawmakers to try to address major federal spending drivers, such as health care and entitlement programs like Medicare and…
Free Webinar for Social Security Disability Beneficiaries about “Working from Home” Opportunities – December 18
If you receive Social Security disability benefits and want to make more money by working at home, Social Security’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program can help. Register for this free Work Incentives Seminar Event onDecember 18, 2013 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern…
Five Steps to ‘Test Drive’ Your Retirement
What’s the best way to “test drive” a retirement before you leave the office? BUD HEBELER: Step 1 is to make a comprehensive plan that covers budget, insurance, taxes, investments, age to start Social Security, health care, activities, living accommodations, home maintenance,…
Social Security: Who’s In and Who’s Out
Every time I write a column about various offsets that impact Social Security benefits payable to folks who spend the bulk of their working lives in jobs not covered by Social Security, as I did about a month ago, I…
Check in with Social Security before traveling outside the U.S.
Mark Twain once advised people to “Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Americans today have taken that advice to heart, and are visiting places around the globe – often for vacations, and sometimes to relocate in another…
Medicare Spending: Urgent Changes Needed for Fiscal Health
At first glance, there appears to be a reduction in the Medicare spending. Year-over-year comparisons in Medicare spending for October and November fiscal years (or, FY) 2013 and 2014 indicate a decline in spending for FY 2014. Preliminary spending declined by 3…