Our Concerns About Medicare & Medicaid as they Turn 61 Years Old
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law 61 years ago today! These legacy Great Society programs could not be MORE IMPORTANT, but the political right has been targeting them for years - and lately, they have been successful in chipping away at the programs that seniors and lower income people depend on for health coverage. We asked our legislative and policy director Dan Adcock to reflect on Medicare's history and the threats that it faces today.
Fiscal Commissions Are not the Answer for Strengthening Social Security
Soon-to-be retired Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) new PROMISE Act is the latest in a wave of proposals to establish a ‘fiscal commission’ to address Social Security’s looming financial shortfall, instead of allowing Congress to do its job and devise its own proposals. Durbin’s bill would authorize the four-person Social Security Advisory Board to draft a 50‑year solvency bill that would be fast‑tracked through Congress by the end of the current legislative session. While it differs from earlier commission proposals, Durbin’s legislation still relies on an outside body to formulate changes to a program that 70 million Americans rely on for basic financial security. On the latest episode of our Capital Quick Takes video series, communications director Walter Gottlieb interviews our President and CEO Max Richtman about Durbin’s bill and other efforts to create fiscal commissions for Social Security.
Trump & GOP’s Role in Rising Health Insurance Costs
New reporting shows Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums are set to spike by an average of 14% in 2027, on top of last year’s double‑digit hike. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Trump administration that has made life more expensive and health care less secure for the most vulnerable Americans. For millions of Americans who buy coverage on the ACA marketplaces, the story of the past two years is simple: the bill got bigger, the help got smaller, and people are walking away from coverage.
Upcoming Celebration Event
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin a laoreet magna, nec interdum nibh. Aliquam at lacinia arcu. Fusce vulputate mauris quis eros efficitur vehicula. Sed eget volutpat ipsum. Duis eget dui facilisis, interdum sapien a, rhoncus dolor. Sed pulvinar risus vel metus blandit, non consequat risus rhoncus.
Equal Time: Dudek’s Bizarre Attack on Rep. Larson
Former Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek must be a skilled contortionist, because he tied himself into knots attacking
Trump’s Medicaid Work Requirements Will Rob 5-10 Million of Health Coverage
Medicaid work requirements are coming for millions of people’s health care. This is thanks to Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill, which mandates that states institute work requirements in order for patients to enroll or maintain health coverage under Medicaid. Work requirements are projected to strip 5-10 million people of health insurance in the coming years. And for no good reason, other than Republicans’ ideological opposition to federal health care programs — and as a way to pay for Trump’s massive tax giveaway to the wealthy.
Tommy Tuberville Thinks Your Social Security Benefits are a Scam
Last week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) showed a blatant disregard for 1.2 million of his constituents who depend on Social Security when he called the program a “scam” in a viral X post. The outburst drew immediate backlash from seniors’ advocates, Democrats, and local media in his home state of Alabama.
Trump Throws Medicare, Medicaid Under The Bus for War in Iran
We always knew Trump wasn’t sincere about protecting Medicare and Medicaid. But he just betrayed his own lie by saying that the two programs - which provide 140 million people with health coverage - should NOT EXIST on the federal level. Why? Because defense should be the federal government’s only priority. Trump didn’t run as a libertarian. But his (poorly worded) declaration would make the Cato Institute blush:
Fortune Columnist Would Rather Cut Social Security Than Make Payroll Wage Cap More Fair
The right-wing barrage of anti-Social Security propaganda continues. In fact, we’re finding ourselves having to shoot down at least one misleading (or misguided) opinion piece every month. Today’s response was provoked by a recent column in Fortune: “Social Security has 6 years left. The fix that sounds cruelest may be the smartest.” Let’s start with the headline. Social Security does not have six years left. The program will go on indefinitely as long as people are working and paying into the system. It’s accurate to say that Social Security’s trust fund reserves will become depleted in some six years — in the unlikely event that Congress takes no pre-emptive action.
Medicare Advantage Is Costing Traditional Medicare Patients Even More Money
t’s more than a little ironic that the for-profit Medicare Advantage program – which was supposed to save everyone money – is actually going to increase costs for people in traditional medicare. Congressional investigators blame this year’s spike in Medicare Part premiums on Medicare Advantage overbilling the government by billions of dollars. Fresh reporting from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) details how those overpayments translated into an estimated $13.4 billion in extra Part B premiums in 2025 alone. In other words, every person with Part B — including those who do not enroll in Medicare Advantage — is effectively subsidizing excess payments to private insurers. This revelation is only the latest in a series of Medicare Advantage scandals.