Archive for January, 2008
A Social Security Icon Dies
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Robert M. Ball died last night at the age of 93. Washington is a town full of public servants and political appointees but Bob Ball was unique. Few in government invest their entire lives toward a single goal but that’s exactly what Bob did. From his youngest days as a Social Security field assistant, to [...]
The Senate and Stimulus
Monday, January 28th, 2008by Barbara B. Kennelly, NCPSSM President/CEO and Social Security Advisory Board MemberThe rush to pass a stimulus package is not reason enough to ignore the millions of American seniors who can help make this stimulus effort a success. We congratulate the Senate Finance Committee for understanding this and working quickly to craft a package that [...]
A Champion in the Senate
Friday, January 25th, 2008Senator John Kerry (DMA) has sent a letter to his fellow Senate Finance Committee members urging they include seniors living on fixed incomes in the economic stimulus package negotiated in the House. Kerry says: “As you develop the legislative language of the economic stimulus package, I urge you to structure the rebate so that we [...]
Stimulus, Seniors & Social Security
Friday, January 25th, 2008Here we go again… Just as we saw in stimulus packages in 2001 and 2003, America’s seniors living on fixed incomes are once again the forgotten constituency. The stimulus plan negotiated in the House ignores millions of retired Americans who live on their savings, pensions and Social Security and feel the pressure of high prices [...]
Social Security and Stimulus for Seniors
Friday, January 18th, 2008While Congress and the President start work on legislation to stimulate our slowing economy, it appears America’s 23 million seniors will once again be overlooked. This, in spite of the undeniable truth that the economic downturn and rising prices have hit older Americans especially hard since many live on a fixed incomes with little ability [...]
What’s in Your Wallet? Social Security Tries Debit Cards
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008The new debit card program, “Direct Express”, is scheduled to debut this spring. In the next few months, applications will go to beneficiaries in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana and ultimately, the Treasury department hopes a large percentage of Social Security’s 49.3 million beneficiaries and 7.4 million Supplement Security Income recipients will sign on. The [...]
Medicare is healthcare…you can’t fix one without the other
Friday, January 11th, 2008The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a new Medicare brief worth a read. It’s a comprehensive look at Medicare’s financing and long-term solvency issues, which thankfully goes way beyond the “we can’t afford entitlements” crisis calls so popular within the Bush administration. Financing Medicare: An Issue Brief draws many of the same conclusions offered by [...]
Iowa Caucuses & Seniors Issues
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008Presidential candidates are making their final push in Iowa today before heading to New Hampshire but do you know where they really stand on issues affecting seniors? It can be hard to keep track. The National Committee surveyed each Presidential candidate with 14 questions on issues such as Social Security, Medicare, pensions, healthcare reform, long-term [...]
Wall Street Celebrates, Seniors Pay
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008Unlike many of us, Humana, a private Medicare Advantage insurer, doesn’t have the post-holiday blues. According to the Associated Press , one Wall Street analyst has upgraded shares of health insurer Humana Inc. today saying it will be at least three years until Congress can make any cuts in Medicare Advantage programs. Carl McDonald with [...]