Ellen Goodman spent decades talking with Americans through her Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper column about social change and the women’s movement. But when her mother became severely ill several years ago, it struck her there was one profoundly important conversation the two of them had never had. “My mother was the kind of person who would [...] [...more]
We’ve all heard the scary numbers: experts say retirees need to set aside hundreds of thousands of dollars for health care in retirement: $200,000, $300,000 or more. Billions and billions, as the late astronomer Carl Sagan would have said. But the forecasts are just average figures. It is harder to get a handle on your [...] [...more]
Here’s the $64,000 question on the Republican plan to voucherize Medicare: Can consumer choice and market competition drive down Medicare costs? The Romney-Ryan presidential campaign ticket thinks so. If they are right, seniors might not have to pony up thousands of additional dollars per year for the cost of Medicare beyond the voucher’s value. If [...] [...more]
Question: What do you call Obamacare’s $716 billion cut in Medicare spending during the next decade? Answer: A good start – and not because seniors don’t deserve their Medicare benefits. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) achieves those spending cuts over 10 years by decreasing payments to Medicare providers. The Romney-Ryan ticket, meanwhile, is committed to [...] [...more]
Opponents of President Barack Obama’s health care law have been predicting dire consequences for seniors on Medicare ever since the legislation was signed last year. The warnings are mostly political spin, but there could be real problems if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act this month. The ACA, a cornerstone of [...] [...more]
