Polling Health ReformLow-income "dual-eligibles" - Medicare beneficiaries whose incomes are so low that they are also eligible for Medicaid. Part B premiums are paid on their behalf by state Medicaid programs..The 2018 findings represent a substantial 4 percent loss in Social Security benefit buying power from January 2017 through January 201The loss deepened from 30 percent in 2017 to 34 percent in 201Of the thirty-nine costs analyzed in the study, twenty-six exceeded the percentage increase in the COLA over the 2000 to 2018 period..By Jamie McMillen, TSCL Legislative Assistant … Continued
Health Reform Perspective Pulling It Together Perspectives On State HealthAlthough there's a new higher standard deduction for U.S. taxpayers this year, tax professionals are cautioning taxpayers against automatically taking it. The 2017 tax legislation retains the deduction for medical expenses. This year, taxpayers can deduct medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of their Adjusted Gross Income, but that threshold will rise to 10% of the AGI in 2019, so taxpayers won't be able to deduct as much. It would be a good idea to crunch the numbers now, to learn if itemizing and the medical expense deduction would reduce your taxes..TSCL will keep a close eye on the fiscal 2016 budget resolution as it moves through the Senate in the coming days, and we will continue to voice our concerns about cuts to the Medicare program that would result in higher costs for beneficiaries. For updates on its movement, visit our new Facebook page.."Illegal Immigrants Could Receive Social Security, Medicare Under Obama Action," Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post, November 25, 201"5 Facts About Illegal Immigration In The U.S.," Jens Manuel Krogstad, Pew Research Center, November 18, 2014 … Continued
