Health Reform Perspective Questions About Essential Health BenefitsWhat financial actions have you been forced to take over the past 12 months? Please take TSCL's new Retirement Survey and let us know!.This week was a busy one for Social Security and Medicare Advocates! There was considerable activity to combat the high cost of prescription drugs. The Ways and Means Committee had a hearing on the Social Security 2100 Act. And, work continues on repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision..The CBO estimated last November that if lawmakers wished to raise the amount of covered earnings subject to the payroll tax to 90 percent of covered earnings, then the taxable maximum would need to be set at 6,400 in 2017 and to rise to 5,000 by 202"Legislation was introduced in December that would impose deep benefit cuts," Johnson notes, "but had no provisions to provide new revenues. " "Lifting the taxable maximum cap would provide new revenues to Social Security and it could also provide a modest boost to Social Security benefits, and more adequate COLAs to all people when they retire," Johnson points out. "Our lawmakers should not be allowed to hide this option under the rug," she says. "Raising the payroll taxable maximum is the means of providing greater retirement security and long - term program solvency, " Johnson says. "We can save Social Security without the deep cuts." … Continued
Blog States Leading Ncsl Partners To Showcase Work On EducationThere 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..Senator McConnell's comments came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department released an analysis that revealed the corporate tax cuts under the new tax law had a significant impact on the deficit in 201Supporters of the 2017 tax legislation sold the bill saying that the tax cuts would spur economic growth so much that it would pay for itself. But the Treasury Department recently reported that the U.S. budget deficit grew to 9 billion in Trump's first full fiscal year as president, as a result of the tax cuts, spending increases, and rising interest payments for the national debt..On August 15th, President Obama went on the record saying, "We should extend the payroll tax cut as soon as possible, so that workers have more money in their paychecks next year and businesses have more customers next year." … Continued