By Donald Jay Korn; Investor’s Business Daily ~ Jun 26, 2015
The so-called Doc Fix measure became law in April. It maintains Medicare’s physician payment rates, which had been scheduled for cuts. If it keeps more doctors in the Medicare program, that’s good news for many seniors.
But someone has to pay for Doc Fix. High-income Medicare enrollees will pick up part of the tab. They’ll pay more for Medicare Part B. Here’s the story:
By Sarah Ferris; The Hill ~ Jun 24, 2015
The number of doctors available in many healthcare plans is shrinking under ObamaCare, forcing some patients to pay more or switch providers, according to a new report.
Four in 10 healthcare plans sold through the government’s marketplace have so few options that their networks are described as “small” or “extra small,” according to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
By David Harrison; The Wall Street Journal ~ Jun 23, 2015
Americans are increasingly unprepared for retirement, says a new paper out today.
The paper, from the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, examines 10 facts about contemporary retirement finances.
We won’t outline all 10 here, but the key is this: Americans are living longer. The average American woman who reaches age 65 this year has a better than one-in-three chance of seeing her 90th birthday, up from a one-in-four chance 50 years ago.
By Lauran Neergaard; The Associated Press ~ Jun 18, 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) — The humble house call is being put to the test to see if it can improve care and cut costs for some of Medicare’s frailest patients – and new data suggests it can work.
Medicare announced Thursday that it saved more than $25 million in the first year of a three-year study to determine the value of home-based primary care for frail seniors with multiple chronic illnesses, by avoiding pricier hospital or emergency room care.
By Sarah Ferris; The Hill ~ Jun 18, 2015
The House voted Thursday to repeal an ObamaCare tax on medical devices that is intended to generate billions of dollars for the law.
The final vote was 280-140, with 46 Democrats voting in favor.
Supporters of the bill say the 2.3 percent tax, which affects about 7,000 manufacturers nationwide, is holding back innovation on important devices like X-ray machines and ventilators.
By Paul Kane and Mike DeBonis, Washington Post – June 18, 2015
The House resurrected the centerpiece of President Obama’s trade agenda Thursday, six days after his fellow Democrats dealt him a dramatic setback that spurned a months-long lobbying effort on the president’s part.
Thursday’s 218-to-208 vote to grant Obama “fast track” authority to negotiate trade deals — including the controversial 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership — is a win for the president, but it is not yet a victory.
By Karl Bode; Techdirt ~ Jun 15, 2015
from the well-look-at-that dept
For a few years now AT&T has taken heat for its “Sponsored Data” program, which lets certain companies pay AT&T an extra fee to let consumers access their content without it impacting their wireless data usage allotment. Critics have repeatedly charged that the program immediately creates an uneven playing field for small companies, independent and non-profits, who may not be able to afford the toll. While it’s clear the plan violates net neutrality, consumers have been fortunate in that corporate interest in the idea so far appears to be minimal.
By Gerri Detweiler; USA TODAY ~ Jun 13, 2015
For many of us, retirement is a great unknown. In your 20s, it seems so far away that it’s easy to figure you’ll start saving when you have more money. Of course, if you wait until you have “extra money,” you might never start at all.
But 20-somethings aren’t the only ones who do things that sabotage their retirement. Their parents may be putting their own retirement at risk by, for example, borrowing money to pay for a wedding, just when they should be turbocharging their own savings, especially if they started late.
From Nancy Anderson; Forbes ~ Jun 13, 2015
When I put a list of common financial concerns — 13 Wealth Issues — in front of my clients and ask what is top of mind for them, identity theft is often the first thing they mention as a pressing concern.
That fear is not unwarranted — identity thieves can do serious damage when they have access to your Social Security number, birth date, address, and other sensitive financial information.
By Stephen Williams; MarketWatch ~ Jun 12, 2015
Most investors share three goals: Build wealth, maintain a steady income (particularly during retirement), and preserve their assets.
Following are four key strategies to consider as you pursue these goals:
1. Differentiate basic needs From enhanced lifestyle goals
It’s important to understand basic versus enhanced needs. Basic needs include essential costs, such as food, mortgage and other critical expenses. Enhanced needs (wants) include everything else — a vacation property, your dream car, and charitable gifts.
