Health Costs Poll Finding The Publics Health Care Agenda For The 2The .5 billion for VA health care improvements will now be paid for with savings elsewhere in the budget. However, one Democratic aide said the funds used to pay for the program were gimmicks that do not harm spending in vital programs..For example, if the price of gasoline soars do people spend more on gas for their autos, or make fewer trips? Because Social Security recipients are living on fixed income, they don't always have the leeway to spend more, meaning larger numbers of seniors might drive less. Younger consumers on a budget and people who are out of work, may be in the same boat. And if a lot of consumers are in the same fix, and wind up driving less, this measure is likely to show that inflation didn't increase much, even though the price of gas at the pump is stratospheric. That would mean your COLA wouldn't grow either, even though cost inflation may be soaring..Essma Extra! … Continued
Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee Legislative CareersThis week, lawmakers in the House and Senate continued their work on an omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. Lawmakers set a .07 trillion cap in the sweeping budget deal that they passed at the end of October, and now they have until December 11th just three weeks to outline how those funds will be spent..Automatic renewals are supposed to make this fall's Open Enrollment under the new health law run more smoothly for consumers like you. But analysts are warning to only do so as a last resort - especially if you qualified for a lower premium. The lower premiums are made possible through premium subsidies, which are actually an advance tax credit based on your income. According to analysts, health insurance exchange customers who like the convenience of automatically renewing are likely to receive outdated and inaccurate premium subsidy amounts that could result in big tax bills later..The chances are high that the next president of the United States will sign into law legislation that reforms the Social Security program and extends the solvency of the trust fund beyond 2034, its projected year of exhaustion. For years leaders in Washington have been authoring sweeping plans that would enact major benefit cuts like reduced cost-of-living adjustments or increased eligibility ages in order to strengthen the financing of the program. But the unpopularity of those plans with voters ensured those plans never went anywhere. … Continued
