Ncsl In Dc Publications And Resources Capitol To Capitol April 8 2019Here's a checklist of red flags to be concerned about:.On 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..The high cost of health care is one of the biggest threats to Medicare and older Americans' health in general. I stand ready to take action on drug price negotiation and Medicare-X and to debate whatever ideas Democrats, Republicans, and independents have to bring down the cost of health care today and protect Medicare's viability for generations to come. … Continued
The Breastfeeding Resolution ControversyIn fact, Senators on both sides of the aisle praised Burwell during their speeches on the Senate floor, expressing their high hopes for her work as HHS Secretary. Sen. Mike Johanns called her "a breath of fresh air," and Sen. Rob Portman said he thinks Burwell will help the department "get its act together." In addition, Sen. Johnny Isakson stated: "I'm looking forward to having someone in [HHS] that's going to be able to answer the hard questions. I might not like the answer, but I like having somebody who has the intellect and the capability and the willingness to be communicating with the Members of Congress.".In addition, according to the CBO's analysis, around 15 million fewer individuals would receive coverage through the Medicaid program, which currently covers the cost of long-term care for one in five Medicare beneficiaries. The BCRA would do away with the current Medicaid reimbursement system where the federal government matches state Medicaid expenditures and replace it with a new formula that would be tied to inflation. If costs grow more quickly than reimbursements as they are expected to, states would likely need to cut benefits, increase taxes, or restrict Medicaid eligibility..If Congress could not reach an agreement to borrow money, Social Security and Medicare benefits would be cut when payroll tax revenues run out as they inevitably would. … Continued