covid-19
The 20% Medicare cut coming for hospitals
(By Jakob Emerson for Becker’s Hospital Review) As the U.S. prepares to end the COVID-19 public health emergency, hospitals are facing a major cut in Medicare payments used to treat patients diagnosed with the disease. Since January 2020, hospitals nationwide…
Stimulus Checks Dominate the News
President Trump signed the latest Covid relief bill on Sunday, ending the standoff and clearing the way for much-needed financial relief for Americans suffering from the pandemic’s economic devastation. The measure also paves the way for additional funding for most Americans in…
Details Emerging on Senate Pandemic Relief Proposals
Senior Forbes contributor Kelly Phillips Erb takes a look at some of the potential outcomes of the pandemic relief bills being crafted in the Senate, noting that the “Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act is a compendium of…
Social Security and COVID-19’s “Second Wave”
Well, statistics seem to support the notion that the second wave of COVID-19 infections is upon us. While most financial advisors do not normally advocate for an early claiming of Social Security benefits, it’s clear that we’re in anything but…
The Payroll Tax Cut Idea, Again
President Donald Trump has again come out in favor of a payroll tax cut to ” … help the American economy to continue to recover from the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 virus.” And once again, the debate on the wisdom…
SSA Provides Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Impact Payments
The Social Security Administration late yesterday provided an update on the question “How do I get my COVID-19 economic impact payment?” The announcement includes an update to their document ” Economic Impact Payments for Social Security and SSI Recipients – Steps to…
Incorrect Social Security Information Cited as Contributing to Unemployment Debacle
Many states are grappling with the unprecedented demand for unemployment compensation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it isn’t hard to believe that many of the claims remain unpaid as processing problems crop up. And in at least…
IRS Releases Guidance for Non-Filers to Provide Information for Stimulus Payments
Information on the “web portal” promised by the IRS for individuals who have not filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019 was released late yesterday in an announcement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. “The ‘Non-Filers:…
The Scammers Are Hard At Work, Scheming to Get Your Money
As the saying goes, never let a crisis go to waste (or something like that). And that’s a motto that is driving a whole new set of swindlers and con men to your door (and likely to your keyboard). The Federal Communications…
401k Loan Limits and the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law March 27 offers some much-needed financial relief for folks battered by the pandemic’s economic fallout. In addition to cash payments, improved unemployment benefits, small business support, and other…