Topic: Medicare

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5 steps to bipartisan cuts in Medicare – and the deficit

Medicare is the single greatest contributor to long-term deficits. If Democrats and Republicans cooperate on waste-cutting ideas – many of which are backed by President Obama – both parties stand to gain. Here are five ways Congress should act.
If not 'sequester,' then what? Five ideas from left and right.

Few in Washington believe that "the sequester,” $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the federal budget as of March 1, is a good idea. But what's the alternative? Here are five proposals, from the right, the center, and the left, to replace the sequester. Which do you like?
Sequester 101: What happens if $85 billion in cuts hit on March 1

The sequester is a complex concept with a tortuous history. Here are the basics on the automatic spending reductions set to kick in March 1.
Senate freshmen: What the 14 new members bring to Capitol Hill

A freshman Senate class was sworn in Jan. 3, bringing diverse skills and experience – not to mention agendas – to the legislative body. Whether the 14 newest senators help break partisan gridlock, or refuse to work across the aisle, will be the test for the 113th Congress.Twelve were elected on Nov. 6, including three Republicans, eight Democrats, and an independent. In addition, a Republican and a Democrat were appointed to vacant seats after the election. Here is a look at the 14 and what they bring to the Senate:
How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.

The push to reform entitlement programs is at the heart of debates about the future of the US budget. They include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare).

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The Tim Pawlenty story: Next stop, the White House?

At a Monitor breakfast with reporters, the Republican governor from Minnesota points proudly to his roots from working-class St. Paul. As a potential presidential candidate, he breaks the GOP stereotype. Biography matters in politics. But America's in a crunch, and solutions matter more.
What to consider before converting to a Roth IRA

The benefits of converting to a Roth IRA are clearest for the wealthy. Many others should proceed with care.
Deficit-cutting ax may fall on Social Security

Cuts in Social Security benefits might be used as one means to reduce the burgeoning federal budget deficit. But are there better ways to deal with the problem?
US deficit heads toward record $1.47 trillion

Even with the slight improvement over earlier forecasts, the White House is predicting a record high deficit that some Republicans are already calling 'a stark reminder of the legacy of Obamanomics.'
Why tax cuts do not reduce government spending

Over the course of the last three decades, cutting revenues has not curtailed government spending.
Why is 'entitlement' a dirty word?

Call entitlements what you like. The US isn't charging enough for membership for this rewards program.
Boost jobs or cut the deficit? US can do both.

Lawmakers face the difficult task of tackling the budget deficit without endangering the recovery. One way to do so is to make government more efficient.
Off to Bar Harbor, Maine, Obama ends week on an up note

Obama – and the Democrats – may well feel buoyed by better news about the Gulf oil spill, Senate passage of financial reform, and latest poll numbers for vulnerable Sen. Harry Reid. The president now gets a weekend away, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Medicare scams totaling $251M result in 36 arrests

Medicare fraud pushes authorities to conduct the largest fraud bust ever in five different states and arrested dozens of suspects accused in scams totaling $251 million.
Why foreign consumers won't rescue American jobs

We can't expect foreign consumers to fill the shortfall in demand left by American consumers who can no longer maintain their pre-recession standard of living.
Why governing Americans is so hard

Our demands on policymakers are so inconsistent and irrational that we make governing nearly impossible.
After recession, middle and working classes lose ground

A larger and larger share of total income going to the very top while the vast middle class continues to lose ground.
Medicare: Bill signed sparing docs from Medicare payments cut (for now)

Medicare payment cut for doctors has been temporarily put off. Obama signed a bill Friday sparing doctors through November.
A lesson in reasonable fiscal policy

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer emphasizes middle-path strategies for both stimulating growth and controlling deficit spending.
Gaming the budget window: How much would funding Medicare payments really cost?

To appear fiscally prudent, lawmakers want to pay for that spending by raising new revenues or reducing other spending essentially by making it easier for corporations to underfund employee pensions.
Q&A with Tea Party leader Dick Armey

FreedomWorks co-chairman Dick Armey discussed President Obama's handling of the BP oil spill crisis at a June 16 Monitor lunch.
The budget uncertainties of health reform

The health care reform law could allow policymakers to back down from scheduled spending cuts or tax increases, or it could open new ways to rein in federal health spending.
Sharron Angle too 'radical' for Nevada GOP strategist

Sharron Angle is said to be too radical for a Nevada GOP strategist who has organized a 'Republicans for Reid' campaign in support of incumbent Democratic Senator Harry Reid.
Q&A with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry

Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and coauthor of a major climate and energy bill, discussed the chances of the bill clearing Congress this year at a May 26 Monitor Breakfast.
FTC head says he supports AMA. He should be investigating it.

FTC Chairman Leibowitz is courting the American Medical Association (AMA). That's not a plus for consumers.
Pressure building to cut US deficit

The public pressure for reducing the country's ballooning deficit is rising, but will policy makers listen?
The tea party: smaller government, but more red ink

Candidates elected on platforms supporting very large tax cuts and small spending reductions are likely to oppose aggressive efforts to reduce deficits, not back them.
Opinion: America's debt is creating a security threat to Europe

The US and the West need vigorous economic growth. In order to to that, the US must first reduce the tax and debt burdens of unsustainable entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Harry Reid ad slams opponent Sharron Angle on Scientology, Medicare

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unleashed his first negative ad on Friday depicting Sharron Angle as a heartless extremist.
When taxes rise next year, will the rich avoid them?

Extreme tax avoidance could frustrate Obama's plans to trim the deficit.