From Dr. Craig Bowron, NA; Forbes ~ Mar 20, 2017

Atherosclerosis — the scarring of blood vessels that leads to heart attacks and strokes—remains atop the leader board for the most common cause of death in people over 65. Drugs called statins (Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor, to name a few) are a critical part of the treatment of atherosclerosis, reducing cardiovascular mortality by around 30%. That’s a big number in fighting such a serious disease, but of course, it can’t be that simple and it isn’t.

By Greg Iacurci; InvestmentNews ~ Mar 20, 2017

Some of the reforms being weighed in Washington as part of a comprehensive tax-reform package could end up having a much more negative impact on the retirement industry than the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule, warns an executive with the largest association for retirement plan advisers.

From Bruce Japsen; Forbes ~ Mar 19, 2017

Cities With The Longest Wait Time To See A Doctor….

Patients are waiting an average of 24 days to schedule an appointment with a doctor , according to a study of commonly used specialty physicians in 15 major U.S. cities.

From Frank Armstrong III; Forbes ~ Mar 16, 2017

If there was ever an industry that cried out for more regulation rather than less, it’s the investment advice industry. But, a new administration that never met a regulation it liked, and whose world view considers them all equally evil set out to deregulate the universe.

So, after years of false starts and delays, the Department of Labor regulation to apply fiduciary standards to IRAs has been put on another hold for 60 days.

By Jeff Reeves; MarketWatch ~ Mar 14, 2017

Cash-strapped pension funds could leave millions of Americans high and dry in the very near future

Washington has a knack for ignoring long-term financial shortfalls and painting overly rosy scenarios about the future to make their numbers work in the here and now.

Case in point: Donald Trump’s unrealistic projection that the U.S. economy will grow at 3% this year, when the latest GDP forecasts have actually been reduced to 1.8% by a number of economists.

By Pauline Bartolone; Kaiser Health News ~ Mar 10, 2017

One of California’s largest insurers has proposed a change in the benefits of commercial plans next year that would require consumers to pay more for drugs at pharmacies outside an established network.

Blue Shield of California wants to create “a tiered pharmacy network” in its 2018 small- and large-group plans, according to preliminary proposals the company submitted to the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), a state health insurance regulator.

From William J. Arnone & Benjamin W. Veghte; The Hill ~ Mar 09, 2017

Looks like two of our nation’s social insurance programs dodged a bullet in the initial budget released by President Trump last week. (At least for now).

On the heels of the budget release, a recent Politico “Morning Consult” poll found that nearly half of Americans think Social Security and Medicare will require major changes.

By Rachel Smith; KTXS ~ Mar 09, 2017

Official warns of scam targeting Social Security recipients

ABILENE, Texas – Acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration Gale Stallworth Stone issued a warning about a nationwide telephone scam targeting Social Security recipients.

By Joseph Steinberg; Inc. ~ Mar 08, 2017

A scam that seems to reappear periodically is back and helping criminals steal people’s money. Protecting yourself is simple–if you know how the scam works.

So, here is what you need to know to protect yourself from the three variants of the scam:

What is the scam?

By T. Becket Adams ; The Washington Examiner ~ Mar 06, 2017

Republican lawmakers unveiled the text of a bill Monday evening to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, capping off weeks of speculation about whether they’d actually put forth replacing legislation.

“Obamacare is rapidly collapsing. Skyrocketing premiums, soaring deductibles, and dwindling choices are not what the people were promised seven years ago. It’s time to turn a page and rescue our health care system from this disastrous law.