From Laurence Kotlikoff; Forbes ~ Apr 12, 2017

Whatever the Freedom Caucus thinks, there is a national consensus that everyone deserves a uniform, basic health insurance policy. Uniform means that everyone’s kidneys are covered for the same problems regardless of whether their kidneys in great or terrible shape.

By Dan Jones; Light Reading ~ Apr 12, 2017

AT&T’s planned $1.6 billion buyout of Straight Path appears to me to raise some questions about the near future of 5G for the number two wireless provider in the US.

Let’s break them down, shall we?

Will 39GHz become AT&T’s 5G flavor for the near-future? This seems like a very strong possibility, simply because of the availability of suitable spectrum licenses for the operator.

By Carol Wilson; Light Reading ~ Apr 10, 2017

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Open Networking Summit — Perhaps more so than other major events, this one has become something of a measuring stick of the industry’s progress on a couple of key things — adoption of virtualization and cloud-native technologies, and embracing of open source approaches.

By Glenn Ruffenach; The Wall Street Journal ~ Apr 10, 2017

Do you have any insights about moving in retirement to be close to children and grandchildren? I realize this is a very personal decision, but I assume many retirees and families grapple with this.

A great topic. Some retirees, of course, can’t wait to relocate near family; others think the occasional visit is more than adequate. (Or, as George Burns, the late comedian and actor, put it: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”)

From Mark Eghrari; Forbes ~ Mar 31, 2017

Compared to even a few decades ago, people today can expect to live longer and healthier lives. And they can expect their overall quality of life to improve as they age – if they have the resources to stay healthy, that is.

According to a survey of seniors conducted by the National Council on Aging, 80% of those contacted said they plan to age in their homes while 40% felt they would need a child or grandchild to eventually care for them.

By Lisa Rapaport; Reuters ~ Mar 31, 2017

(Reuters Health) – Care at freestanding emergency departments may cost about 10 times more than similar treatment at urgent care centers, according to a Texas study that highlights the potential for patients to be surprised by their bills.

The average cost of care at a freestanding emergency room in Texas was $2,199 in 2015, compared with $168 at urgent care, the study found. Either way, patients had to pay roughly one third of the tab out-of-pocket.

By Fred Schulte; Kaiser Health News ~ Mar 28, 2017

UnitedHealth Group is one insurer offering Medicare Advantage plans, which cover about one third of people on Medicare. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Justice Department has joined a California whistleblower’s lawsuit that accuses insurance giant UnitedHealth Group of fraud in its popular Medicare Advantage health plans.

By Matthew Frankel; The Motley Fool ~ Mar 26, 2017

You may have heard certain things about Social Security’s financial condition — maybe that the system is “broke” or that it won’t be able to pay benefits for much longer. Fortunately, statements like these are a bit of an exaggeration. Social Security’s trust fund has plenty of money in it for the time being, but this isn’t expected to last beyond 2034. Here’s the truth about the current state of Social Security’s finances and why it is projected to run out of money in about 17 years.

From Jeff Reeves; The Hill ~ Mar 24, 2017

Your pension could be at the center of America’s next financial crisis

I’m not a fan of the “greed is good” mentality of Wall Street investment firms. But the next financial crisis that rocks America won’t be driven by bankers behaving badly. It will in fact be driven by pension funds that cannot pay out what they promised to retirees

By Dan Jones; Light Reading ~ Mar 23, 2017

AT&T could get access to potential 5G spectrum that could cover nearly all of the US population through its recently revealed plans to buy FiberTower.

AT&T Mobility LLC said in February that it would buy mobile backhaul provider FiberTower Corp. for an undisclosed sum. FiberTower holds interests in a total of 738 24GHz and 39GHz licenses according to theFederal Communications Commission (FCC). The licenses include potential areas of coverage in over 30 cities in the US. (See AT&T Buys FiberTower for 5G Spectrum.)