Just hours after the trustees released their annual reports on Wednesday, members of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee met with Chief Actuary Stephen Goss to discuss the findings. Many of those present at the hearing expressed their commitment to addressing the program's funding shortfall. Chairman Sam Johnson said, "The longer we wait, the tougher it will get to fix Social Security. So the sooner we act the better." Chief Actuary Goss agreed, saying: "The trustees have consistently advised that enacting changes soon, even if with delayed effective dates, will allow more options to be considered, more advance warning for those affected, and a more gradual phase-in of adjustments.".If your year has been like mine, you've had a number of Medicare aggravations during which you promised yourself to look into different health and drug plan options at your first opportunity. Medicare's Fall Open Enrollment is underway, and this is your opportunity to compare plans make changes to your coverage..A lot is at stake. Members of Congress and President Obama have been considering cuts to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments to lower government spending cuts that still remain on the bargaining table. In addition, the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund will be fully exhausted in just three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. An immigration amnesty would give new access to Social Security for an estimated 11.5 illegal immigrants currently in the U.S., who would become eligible for benefits that potentially include credit for earnings under fraudulent Social Security numbers..Some home healthcare can be deductible. In order for home healthcare expenses to be deductible, those who require the care must be unable to perform two or more of six activities of daily living and have a plan of care from a physician that specifies help with these tasks..There were reports recently that Republicans in the House of Representatives are insisting that stemming the growth of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid costs is necessary. Bloomberg news reported on a House Budget Committee hearing about a new Congressional Budget Office report that projects trillion-dollar deficits for the next decade..The good news is that key members of Congress now say they will push for surprise billing legislation to be part of the next bill that deals with the coronavirus emergency..Mulvaney explained that the goal of the proposed cut to SSDI is to "test new approaches to increase labor force participation," which suggests that large numbers of ineligible people are abusing the system and need to go back to work. While Social Security disability has well-publicized problems with fraud and abuse, it's important to note that eligibility standards for Social Security disability mean that a person must have a condition so severe that he or she is not able to work. Thus, someone who truly meets the eligibility standards for disability, is not likely to ever re-enter the workforce..I realize that tonight when I go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the living room where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers..But should President Trump win a second term there will be pressure on him from members of his own party and some of his long-time supporters to violate his pledge to protect Social Security and Medicare when he ran for President the first time.
