Topic: Medicare
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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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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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Ten tax moves to protect yourself from the fiscal cliff
Americans are facing an unprecedented tax increase of nearly $500 billion on Jan. 1, 2013, from the so-called "fiscal cliff." Are you ready? Here are 10 year-end tax strategies I recommend:
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'Fiscal cliff' 101: 5 basic questions answered
President Obama and congressional leaders are working to stop the US from going over the “fiscal cliff,” a combination of higher taxes and lower spending set to take effect Jan. 1. Here are five steps to understanding what's going on.
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6 ways to avoid the 'fiscal cliff'
Republican congressional leaders and President Obama sharply disagree over how to deal with the impending “fiscal cliff.” But a successful plan shouldn’t be that hard to put in place. Here are six ways Washington can avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
All Content
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Tax VOX
Fiscal cliffs, loopholes and entitlements: The truth behind politicians' favorite buzzwordsWhen Congress has tough decisions to make, they trot out euphemisms like fiscal cliff, tax loopholes and entitlements, Gleckman writes.
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Fiscal cliff: for Obama and liberals, a wary alliance (+video)
After a White House meeting Tuesday, liberal leaders expressed confidence that President Obama would make sure fiscal remedies don't hurt middle and low-income Americans. But entitlements are still on the table.
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Robert Reich
Obama should aim high in deficit negotiationsBy raising taxes on wealthy Americans, eliminating breaks for oil and gas companies and other measures, Obama could meet the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, Reich writes.
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Stock market has tumbled since Obama reelection. Are investors angry?
The stock market has gone into a bit of a tailspin since the election. Wall Street's disappointment with the outcome will pass quickly, but concern about the 'fiscal cliff' is mounting.
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Opinion: How President Obama can win over Congress (+ video)
He may have won the election, but now President Obama faces enormous challenges in the House and Senate – among Republicans and Democrats. To succeed, he must do what does not come naturally to him: Spend lots of quality time with lawmakers of both parties.
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Election Day bears fruit? Boehner, Reid talk of compromise on 'fiscal cliff.' (+video)
Senate majority leader Harry Reid claims a mandate from Election 2012 to let tax cuts expire for the 'richest of the rich.' House Speaker John Boehner says the mandate is for members of Congress to work together.
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Would tea party accept a Bill Clinton-brokered deal with Obama?
Chastened by Obama’s win, Republicans are taking a hard look at the impact of the tea party wing on the party brand. The real story may be whether that makes the GOP more amenable to a deal.
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Paul Ryan returns to House: Is he ready for bigger role in GOP?
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin missed out on becoming vice president, but he retained his House seat. Now, he might be able to parlay his heightened exposure into greater clout.
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The Monitor's View: After Obama victory: Come together, right now
President Obama and Republicans need to work together, weather criticism from their bases, and make a tough, fair, and necessary deal to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff.’
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Opinion: Exit polls show President Obama should go on listening tour, not take victory lap
Mitt Romney will be chastised for his missteps. But he isn’t the only one who was tone deaf. Voters are ambivalent about President Obama and his record. He needs to listen to the echoes from the exit polls, broaden his approach, and seek a new direction for his second term.
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Tax VOX
Five tough challenges for Obama's second termWith his reelection Tuesday, President Obama faces a second term full of painful choices on issues ranging from the fiscal cliff to Medicare and Medicaid, Gleckman writes.
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Congress: Will fiscal cliff, election results lead partisans to stand down?
Post-election, the GOP-led House still sees its mandate as tax-hike prevention. Obama and the Democrats still want to raise taxes for the wealthy. But if they don't work together, the looming 'fiscal cliff' – which no one wants to see – may doom them all.
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'Red' Indiana sends Democrat to US Senate, as women fled Mourdock (+video)
US Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) defeated state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) in the Indiana Senate race, on the strength of women's votes. Mourdock's views on abortion in cases of rape created a stir.
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If GOP misfires on bid for Senate takeover, is tea party to blame?
Tea party conservatives are likely to take a drubbing from the Republican establishment if their Senate champions falter on Election Day. But tea partyers dispute any suggestion that they are to blame if Democrats keep control of the US Senate.
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Robert Reich
Election 2012: A house dividedWe come to the end of a bitter election feeling as if we’re two nations rather than one, Reich writes.
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Humana profit down, but still beats estimates
Humana earnings hit $426 million in third quarter, down from $445 million a year. But Humana raises earnings guidance for the year, due in part to rising enrollment in its Medicare drug plans.
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Opinion: To grow the economy, we must shrink President Obama's big government
US unemployment remains high. Job creation is lackluster. GDP growth is sluggish. Each of these measure should be higher. Lawmakers must reverse the harm of Obama's big-government policies by stopping Taxmageddon, eliminating red tape, and reforming entitlement programs.
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Cover Story
What Americans want from the next presidentOn the eve of a historically tight election, a writer drives through swing states and listens to the voices of America, hearing one overriding plea: 'Washington, stop bickering. Get something done!'
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Can we live with the budget 'sequester'? Yes, but it’s better if we don’t.
Congress has many incentives to prevent the $100 billion 'sequester', the feared 'fiscal cliff' among them. But it’s main drawback is that it’s a blunt tool for a delicate budgetary task.
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Six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong
Mitt Romney’s economic plan is largely based on a whitepaper written by several “heavyweight” economists. The problem is, it's riddled with fundamental flaws. Here are six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong about what ails the American economy and how to fix it.
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Tax VOX
The end of a disappointing campaign for both Obama, RomneyGleckman asks: How do both presidential candidates get away with dodging critical fiscal issues on the campaign trail? We let them, he answers.
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Final pitch for Obama, Romney: Which one will convince voters about 'change'?
Post-hurricane Sandy, both campaigns are back in full swing. Mitt Romney says he's the man who can take the nation on a different course, but President Obama says he, too, represents change.
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Robert Reich
Romney's deceitA misleading Ohio attack ad is the latest example of GOP candidate Mitt Romney's mishandling of the truth, Reich writes.
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Tax VOX
What is Mitt Romney’s tax plan?Howard Gleckman offers a breakdown of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's proposed tax plan.
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How the 2014 elections tip prospects for a 'grand bargain' on US deficits
Whoever wins the White House – President Obama or Mitt Romney – will need help from the other side of the aisle in the Senate to reach a deal on meaningful debt- and deficit-reduction. But key senators up for reelection in 2014 face wrenching tradeoffs.
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