Medicare, Social Security Slide into Insolvency Worsened This Year

Once again, trustees forecast that Medicare's hospital fund would begin to run out of money beginning in 2024, but many experts place little importance on the trustees' projection since the program's insolvency has been forecast from as little as two years away to as many as 28 years since 1970.

What Age Retirement Given Ever-Increasing Longevity?

Between 1900 and 2000, life expectancy at birth increased by near 30 years, more than it had increased during the previous 200,000 years of human history. For 65 year olds the mortality rate declined by 55 percent during the 20th century.

Seniors Still Read a Lot of News. But Where and How?

Although daily Internet usage is up 7 points from last year, those over age 65, more than younger adults, still say they prefer print.

Boomer Retirement Running Contrary to Predictions

The new study reports that 59 percent of the first boomers to turn 65 are at least partially retired, 45 percent are completely retired and 14 percent are retired, but are working part-time. Of those still working, 37 percent say they'll retire in the next year and on average plan to do so at least by the time they're 68.

The Budget Battles Begin: Seniors Firmly in the Crossfire

Depending on how you see it, the Ryan plan is either a path to prosperity or a road to ruin. The Democrats say it destroys “Medicare as we know it,” and the Republicans say you may not like it all, but their plan will get the country to fiscal survivability, while the Democrats push the tough deficit-balancing issues off into the future.

Honor Flight Network Flies Vets to WWII Memorial at No Cost

By the end of 2011, HFN had brought more than 81,000 veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to see their respective memorials. It is always a powerful experience for the veterans and volunteers alike with many tears and an overwhelming sense of pride.

Newest Repeal Effort to Health Care Reform Bill: Medicare Cuts Advisory Board

If Medicare spending exceeds a certain target, the panel would make recommendations to Congress on how to lower Medicare spending, but with specific restrictions -- including no increases to beneficiaries -- premiums or cost sharing or cuts to benefits.

Medicare Fraud Crackdowns

If you’ve ever tried to understand your Medicare bill, you will clearly applaud Medicare’s new rollout of its revamped billing statements.

Innovative Health Care Programs Initiative Will Create New Jobs Quickly

The stated aim is to find new ideas for care to people in Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP (the children’s health program). The new money will be handed out in grants to organizations and local governments that work with patients in those federal programs.

Implementing Health Care Reform, Despite Opposition

Republicans have been campaigning in Congress and in the presidential campaign to “repeal and replace” Obama’s health care law. But so far, they have failed to answer a central question. Replace it with what?

So far, many states have begun establishing exchanges, but a few states – most notably Florida, Alaska and Louisiana have said they absolutely will not establish exchanges of their own. So a state with perhaps more seniors than almost any other, Florida, is leaving this up to the federal government to set up an exchange.

Washington on the Move: Long Term Care Program Dies, So May Some Patients Facing Drug Shortages, And the High Court Hurries Up – Or Maybe Not

While the need for long term care remains and continues to grow as the baby boom generation starts retiring, the program’s administrator, Kathy Greenlee, said the numbers just didn’t add up.

For months, doctors, patients and others have been complaining about the unavailability of key drugs to treat cancer, to control infections and even to provide basic electrolytes to patients who need intravenous feeding.

The Court agreed to hear a lawsuit brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business that says Congress exceeded its power by requiring most Americans to buy health insurance starting in 2014.

Finally, a Raise for Social Security: How Much, and Who Decided the Amount?

All of these elements greatly affect what seniors actually pay on a daily basis, yet none of them are part of the measurement that is used to set the cost of living increase (or lack of it) that seniors are expected to live by.