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Retirement Planner: When rising health care costs hit home
With my 97-year-old father in a nursing home, I find myself getting a lot of valuable, firsthand experience with the nation’s health care delivery system — especially the costs. The other day, I received a bill for ambulance service incurred back…
Budget deal may signal era of tiny achievements
People hoping for a government that works better can’t decide whether to cheer or lament a bipartisan budget bill that legislative leaders call a breakthrough even as they acknowledge it does little. In an era of low expectations, House passage of…
Op-Ed: US budget deal helps save defense budget from sequester …
When it comes to rescuing the military-industrial complex from the severe cuts imposed by the sequester, Republicans and Democrats can demonstrate bipartisan action. Without the recent budget deal worked out under the guidance of Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray there…
Chronic Illness, Disability Mean Medicare Access Problems
The vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries have few difficulties getting routine care from a physician, but certain subsets have higher rates of problems, according to two reports issued this week. Those with higher rates of problems accessing routine care “include beneficiaries…
How Paul Ryan’s Budget Plan Could Bridge The GOP’s Divide
Rep. Paul Ryan likened his 2-year budget agreement with Democrats to taking a few steps in the right direction. But the bipartisan deal also carries potential value for Republicans and Ryan himself at a time when the party lacks a clear…
Obama to Make IRS Tea Party Targeting Legit
Democracy is such a quaint notion. Why let it get in the way of doing so much good in the world? I mean, what if it turns out people don’t want their money redistributed? That they want it for themselves…
Retirement security lags asset gains
You’d think that gains in the stock market and the rebound in housing values would be improving the retirement security of many Americans. But that’s not the case, according to a recent analysis. Despite the gains, there was only a modest…
Retirement roadblocks for baby boomers
From now until 2030, about 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 every day, according to the Pew Research Center. This large generation, born between 1946 and 1964, has had a huge impact on American culture and society, and that remains…
Arizona delegation split on House vote on U.S. budget deal
Arizona’s nine members of the U.S. House split Thursday on passage of a 2014 budget deal, with five opposing the compromise and four voting in favor of the agreement. The bipartisan budget deal, crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.,…
Commentary: Close tax loopholes; Don’t cut Social Security
In my 30 years working at the Social Security Administration, I never once encountered a retired or disabled recipient living a life of luxury. And yet, some politicians want to solve our budget problems by cutting Social Security and Medicare,…