Why living longer should not lead to retirement benefit cuts

When you hear a politician start a sentence with the phrase “We’re all living longer,” grab your wallet. You are about to be told that Social Security or Medicare benefits should be cut because of America’s rising longevity…
…Researchers engaged by the nonprofit advocacy group National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation found that the uninsured rate in the 65-66 age band would jump from nearly zero today to 18.7 percent - even if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains in place and the law’s Medicaid coverage were expanded to this age group.
via Reuters.

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When a candidate promises to “save these programs for future generations” by raising the retirement age, raising the Medicare eligibility age, privatizing Social Security, changing the COLA formula and means-testing Social Security while exempting near retirees what they’re actually saying is: “We know seniors vote so we’ll protect them now and slash future benefits for their children and grandchildren instead.

via Entitled to Know.

Source: ncpssm.org social security politics entitlements p2 seniors retirement retirees retirement crisis entitlement reform elderly COLA means testing medicare health care retirement age

Millions of current and future retirees were no doubt hoping that President Trump would use last night’s speech to Congress to reaffirm his promises not to touch Social Security and Medicare. Instead, the President ducked and covered. He did not even... — Millions of current and future retirees were no doubt hoping that President Trump would use last night’s speech to Congress to reaffirm his promises not to touch Social Security and Medicare. Instead, the President ducked and covered. He did not even utter the words “Social Security” or “Medicare” in his entire hour-long address. As for Medicaid – which millions of American seniors rely upon for skilled nursing care – the President only touched on it once, with a veiled reference to converting guaranteed benefits into block grants, which would hurt beneficiaries.
via Entitled to Know.

Source: bit.ly social security medicare medicaid trump politics donald trump seniors retirement retirees retirement crisis entitlements entitlement reform older americans elderly healthcare health care congress

lindasanchez.house.gov

Reps. Linda Sánchez Introduces Strengthening Social Security Act of 2016

Washington, DC – Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Mike Honda (D-CA), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) along with 45 original co-sponsors today introduced H.R. 5952, the Strengthening Social Security Act of 2016:

Max Ritchman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: “America’s seniors understand all too well that our nation faces a retirement crisis and improving Social Security benefits is vital to keeping millions from poverty. Rep. Linda Sanchez’s ‘Strengthening Social Security Act’ makes several important improvements for seniors by: phasing out the payroll tax cap so that the wealthy pay their fair share, creating a Cost of Living adjustment for the elderly and boosting benefits for all retirees including widows/widowers. NCPSSM strongly supports this legislation and applauds Congresswoman Sanchez for doing the right thing for America’s seniors and their families.”
via Representative Linda Sanchez.

In the Fight for Retirement Security, It's 2005 All Over Again... But Ten Times Worse

…Here we are, eleven years later, facing another existential threat to our health and retirement income security. But this time the threat is worse, the peril more palpable. The millions of workers, retirees, the disabled and their families who depend on Social Security and Medicare have cause for grave concern.

More on this issue here.

Source: bit.ly social security medicare politics privatization seniors retirement retirees retirement crisis entitlements entitlement reform older americans elderly social insurance healthcare health care p2 congress

bendbulletin.com

Merkley visits area seniors: Pledges more help on Social Security and Medicare

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, received an endorsement from one of the country’s top senior citizen advocacy groups when he joined a dozen Central Oregon seniors for a Thursday discussion on Social Security and Medicare.
“When he came to see us in 2007, your senator made a pledge that he would not do anything that would undermine Social Security, and he has lived up to it,” said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare.

Source: boostsocialsecuritynow.org social security medicare politics entitlements seniors retirement retirement crisis retirees healthcare elderly jeff merkley

justiceinaging.org

Voices of Medicare Summit Highlights Needs of Poor Seniors

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare’s Max Richtman emphasized the importance of talking about improving and expanding Medicare and Social Security, not just protecting them. He described how he talks to seniors across the country who are shocked that Medicare doesn’t cover, hearing, or vision care. Only by highlighting these gaps in coverage can we work to change them.

via Justice in Aging.

medicare politics healthcare entitlements seniors elderly older americans p2 social security entitlement reform retirement retirees retirement crisis

The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report was just released, and it will presumably inspire the predictable scaremongering about those programs by many in the media and in politics. We’ll be told that those programs are running out of money, that they’re going to go bankrupt, and that they’ll be insolvent.

via USA Today. (We should be expanding Social Security & Medicare)

Source: boostsocialsecuritynow.org social security medicare entitlements politics healthcare retirement seniors retirement crisis retirees

Rather than acknowledge our national retirement crisis and propose policy prescriptions to improve the ability of average Americans’ to save for retirement and boost benefits for Social Security and Medicare, policy proposals of most of the Republican Presidential candidates do just the opposite – cut benefits and shift more costs to middle-class families.

Max Richtman via Entitled to Know.

Source: ncpssm.org social security politics p2 seniors retirement retirement crisis retirees entitlements entitlement reform medicare health care older americans election election 2016 2016 election

“via twitter.
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Related Reading:
Trump is wrong, Dems are fighting to save Medicare and Social Security.“The majority party is already hard at work on those cuts. Republicans have released a plan that would raise the Social Security retirement age to... — via twitter.
**Related Reading:**
**Trump is wrong, Dems are fighting to save Medicare and Social Security.**
The majority party is already hard at work on those cuts. Republicans have released a plan that would raise the Social Security retirement age to 70 and impose stingier cost-of-living adjustments — meaning massive benefit cuts for America’s seniors.
The president’s 2019 budget slashes Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits by a staggering $64 billion over ten years. His budget director once disingenuously claimed that SSDI is not part of Social Security even though the words “Social Security” are in its name.

Source: bit.ly politics social security social insurance medicare entitlements earned benefits entitlement reform p2 elderly older americans seniors healthcare health care trump donald trump republicans GOP retirement retirees retirement crisis

NCPSSM — Why living longer should not lead to retirement...

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