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By U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright.Refinancing can be a good way to reduce your monthly mortgage payments but doing so generally means you extend the pay-off period of your loan and spend more money on interest up front. Choosing a 15 - or even 10 - year loan can save you money on interest, but the monthly payments will be higher and potentially harder to sustain over time..During women's working years they tend to earn less than men for the same work. In addition, many women also take time out of the workforce to have children, or to provide care for aging family members. Some women do both, leaving low earnings and even zeroes in the earnings record that the Social Security Administration uses to determine their retirement benefit..In January the President had said he would "take a look" at cutting entitlement spending, which is Washington talk for cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. However, the next day after the interview he backed off his statement and tweeted that he would save Social Security..Let's say that you work for an employer with more than 20 employees. Then you and your wife may delay enrollment in Medicare, if you continue to work, and as long as you're still covered by the group health plan. If your employment or coverage ends, however, then you and your wife have 8 months to enroll in Medicare. COBRA and retiree health plans don't count as coverage based on current employment..In addition, the plans in his orders all have limitations. For example, the rebate order comes with a caveat that any plan cannot increase seniors' premiums, the unworkable problem that led the administration to kill its original rebate rule last year..According to a March analysis of an earlier version of the bill by the CBO, the legislation would restructure Medicaid safety net by capping costs. "This would have a profound impact on low-income Medicare beneficiaries," Johnson says. About 1 in 5 people on Medicare, 11 million beneficiaries in all, have incomes so low that they qualify for Medicaid, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation..With the end of the 2021 fiscal year on Sept. 30 fast approaching, they face a massive workload if they hope to finish by then. Technically, they are supposed to pass legislation funding the federal government for fy202No one expects that will happen but they still must pass a "continuing resolution" which will keep the government going for an additional period, giving them time to pass the new budget. If they don't do that the government will shut down..This week, The Senior Citizens League's Board of Trustees traveled to Capitol Hill to host a Welcome Reception and to meet with several lawmakers and their top aides. In addition, Members of the Senate overwhelmingly voted to confirm Marilyn Tavenner as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and three key bills gained critical support.

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–A majority of older voters think Social Security should be strengthened, but are opposed to cutting benefits, says a national survey by The Senior Citizens League. The new national survey found that older voters favor some changes that provide the program with more revenue, and provide retirees with modestly higher benefits in the future. According to TSCL's 2016 Senior Survey, 71 percent of older voters think Social Security should be expanded to provide modestly higher retirement benefits and more fair cost of living adjustments. An analysis for TSCL estimates that if COLAs were indexed using a "senior" consumer price index - the government's Consumer Price Index for the Elderly - Social Security recipients would receive a 1.3 percent increase instead of an estimated 0.2 percent COLA in 2017..The age at which one applies for Social Security is the single biggest financial decision most of us will ever make, but TSCL's 2017 Senior Survey suggests that the vast majority of people claiming Social Security aren't getting the help they need. When survey participants were asked if they had received counseling from the Social Security Administration about the best age to start benefits, 77% of survey participants said no, and 71% said that prior to starting benefits they were unaware of the total lifetime benefit income they could expect to receive..The big dental expense is when you need more extensive work like crowns or root canals. Yet dental insurance often comes with waiting periods and won't cover fillings for the first six months of a policy and may not offer coverage for other procedures for up to 18 months. Many plans also have very low annual caps on care of ,000, meaning that once your dental bills exceed that amount you pay the rest of the bills in full. … Continued

Racial Equity And Health Policy Perspective Will Poor Health Status In The South Be An Issue In 2016 Primaries

Legislation introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and a similar bill introduced by Representative John Larson would provide a boost in Social Security benefits by about to for most recipients, would increase cost of living adjustments by basing the increase on the CPI-E. It would pay for the expanded benefits and restore long - term solvency to the program by making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes. Under current law those earning more than 8,500 pay nothing on earnings over that amount..Said TSCL Chairman Ralph McCutchen, "We've gotten much accomplished this trip and received plenty of good news as far as getting more support for our concerns. We were able to show the Members of Congress we met with that living proof of the Notch does exist and reform is needed sooner rather than later.".TSCL believes a cap of ,000 to ,000 out-of-pocket, particularly for people who don't receive any "Extra Help" to cover drug costs and out-of-pocket spending, would provide much needed protection that would significantly reduce the current impoverishing level of mandated out-of-pocket spending. … Continued