Health Reform Poll Finding Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Future Directions For The Aca And Medicaid View FootnotesOn Wednesday, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the financial outlook of both programs. As expected, they found that Social Security and Medicare are experiencing long-term financing shortfalls. Social Security's combined trust funds are expected to be depleted in 2034, which remains unchanged from last year's report. Medicare's Hospital Insurance trust fund is expected to be depleted in 2028 two years earlier than the trustees projected last year..Talk in Congress about Social Security boost, maybe but not for awhile.On the heels of Greenspan's recent statement, President Obama's Fiscal Commission is due to release itsplan to solve the growing U.S. deficit by December 1st of this year. The Commission is eyeing major cuts to Social Security - including cost-of-living adjustments cuts that would affect 53 million current beneficiaries. … Continued
Blog Ncsl Spearheads First Virtual Fly In Advocating For Additional Flexible Stimulus FundsWhile the legislation made some changes to Social Security and did not cut benefits of any current retirees, it did end a complicated benefit claiming strategy known as "file and suspend" for people very close to retirement. Although the legislation closes an unintended "loophole," the strategy was one of the few means married couples had to maximize their payouts. A similar provision was contained in Obama's 2015 fiscal year budget and was estimated to cut Social Security costs by as much as .5 billion annually..This week, TSCL announced its support for the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, which was introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Ted Deutch. Their bill, if signed into law, would base Social Security cost-of-living adjustments on the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers and it would gradually phase out the cap on income subject to the payroll tax over a period of seven years..Rural practices and patients deserve a better partner in the federal government when it comes to the health of rural America. History has shown that communities that don't have a reliable healthcare facility struggle to maintain their livelihood. … Continued