Most seniors on Medicare will pay $99.90 per month this year for Part B outpatient coverage. But how would you like to pay 10 percent more for that coverage, or 50 percent more? Failing to sign up for Medicare at the right time can cost you – big time. The monthly Part B premium jumps [...] [...more]
Here’s a political proposal that sounds reasonable: Fix struggling government entitlement programs by cutting the benefits of rich people, who don’t need them anyway. How about it, Jon Huntsman? “Well, let me just say on entitlements – across the board, I will tell the upper income category in this country that there will be means [...] [...more]
The social safety net that protects seniors already is frayed, but expect politicians to try poking some new holes in the mesh during the 2012 campaign season. This year, lawmakers and presidential candidates have batted around proposals to privatize Social Security, raise its retirement age or reduce cost-of-living adjustments. Medicare privatization has been pushed in [...] [...more]
The Republican Party has staged a mind-numbing 18 presidential debates this year, and more questions and answers lie ahead as the primaries and general election get into high gear in the new year. The future of Social Security and Medicare will be central issues in the 2012 election. The ongoing debate about income inequality also [...] [...more]
Add this to the long list of odd “class warfare” stories we’ve already seen in 2011: Republicans will fight to the death against any higher taxes on the wealthy, but they have no problem boosting Medicare premium rates paid by affluent seniors. The GOP-led House approved legislation this week that would expand existing surcharges on [...] [...more]
