By Michael Hiltzik; Los Angeles Times ~ Jan 10, 2017
Social Security is much beloved by Americans — that’s why it’s often called the “third rail of American politics” — but its enemies on Capitol Hill never rest in trying to make it less beloved. We’re not talking about the level of benefits, which has resisted conservatives’ determined slash-and-burn campaigns (so far), but the level of its public outreach, which has suffered grievously in recent years.
By Jim Swift; The Weekly Standard ~ Jan 08, 2017
Earlier Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told host John Dickerson that President-elect Trump is going to abide by his promise not to reform entitlement programs:
I don’t think President-elect Trump wants to meddle with Medicare or Social Security…He made a promise in the campaign that that was something he didn’t want to do. But what he wants to do is help grow the economy, shore up Medicare and Social Security for future generations.
By Michael Cohn; Accounting Today ~ Jan 05, 2017
The Internal Revenue Service and its partners in the tax preparation industry are improving their security measures ahead of the January 23 start of tax season.
The IRS assembled representatives from state tax authorities, accountant organizations, tax software developers and tax preparation chains to talk about its Security Summit efforts Thursday.
By Michelle Hackman, Market Watch – Jan 5, 2017
Federal spending on a Medicare program for people with high drug costs has ballooned over the past five years, largely due to the soaring costs of expensive specialty medications, a new government report has found.
Federal payments for Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage, which pays 80% of drug costs after a beneficiary has spent a certain amount annually, surpassed $33 billion in 2015, more than triple the amount paid in 2010.
By Alexander Bolton; The Hill ~ Jan 01, 2017
Senate and House Republicans are headed for a clash over whether to tackle Medicare reform under President-elect Donald Trump.
Senate Republican leaders prefer to focus narrowly on an ObamaCare replacement bill that does not contain changes to Medicare — a cautious approach that reflects their slim majority.
From Bruce Japsen; Forbes ~ Dec 31, 2016
Americans are poised in 2017 to gain even more access to nurse practitioners, physician assistants and health professionals via I-phones, apps and related digital health technology.
Across the country, states led by both Republicans and Democrats have eased scope of practice laws to allow easier access to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. And associations for “NPs” and “PAs” are increasing their lobbying to intensify their push in 2017 to serve more patients.
By Lorraine Woellert; Politico ~ Dec 31, 2016
One of the most powerful lobbies in Washington is preparing a battle to preserve the strength of what has always been untouchable in the tax world: the mortgage interest deduction.
Realtors, home builders and bankers have for decades successfully defended the $70 billion mortgage tax break, claiming that killing it would crater the housing market and undermine the American dream of home ownership for middle class taxpayers.
By Brian Doherty, Bank Investment Consultant – Dec. 30, 2016
Most people in this country think that Social Security is in a great deal of trouble, even on the brink of bankruptcy.
They worry about its ability to make benefit payments for their entire retirement. Younger people, who are decades away from retirement, worry whether Social Security will even exist when it is time for them to retire.
By Stan Choe; The Associated Press ~ Dec 27, 2016
NEW YORK (AP) — Get ready for investments to be merely good again.
They’ve already been great for years, as both stocks and bonds have delivered fat returns since the worst of the financial crisis passed in 2009. But after such a strong and long gallop upward, markets have many reasons to slow down, analysts and fund managers say.
From FidelityVoice; Forbes ~ Dec 26, 2016
You probably wouldn’t climb a mountain without a guide. But when it comes to charting a financial course, many people feel they need to go it alone. That’s often not the best strategy, because our strongest money instincts—fear and greed—tend to block the path to success.