Social Security and Medicare Cuts Are Coming, Whether Politicians Do It or Not
As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor.
Medicare
U.S. Will Add $18.8 Trillion in New Debt by 2033
Plus: Age verification for social media, a bill to ban cannabis "gatherings," and more...
Under No Circumstances Did Joe Biden Save Social Security
Plus: a listener question on prohibition and a lightning round on the editors' favorite Super Bowl moments
Biden's Drug Price Controls Will Kill More Patients in the Long Run
And increase total health care costs to boot.
The Fight Over the Debt Ceiling Is Just Beginning
Legislators will increasingly argue over how to spend a diminishing discretionary budget while overall spending simultaneously explodes.
Social Security Is on the Brink of Collapse. The GOP Won't Touch It.
In 1950, there were more than 16 workers for every beneficiary. In 2035, that ratio will be only 2.3 workers per retiree.
Donald Trump and J.D. Vance Say No Cuts for Social Security. That's Impossible.
Social Security benefits will be cut automatically in less than a decade unless Congress shores up the program before it hits insolvency. Ignoring that is not a solution.
The GOP's Current Plan To Cut Spending Is a Political Failure
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are still the chief drivers of our future debt. But Republicans aren't touching them.
To Win the Speakership, Kevin McCarthy Had To Promise To Cut Spending. Good.
While some Republicans may have had misguided motivations, a few disrupted McCarthy's campaign in order to enact fiscal restraint. Their colleagues were fine with business as usual.
Congress Can Reduce the Deficit by $7.7 Trillion in 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office projects that future deficits will explode. But there's a way out.
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
What Will the GOP Do if It Wins?
Wait, are the midterms really about entitlement cuts?
A Few Ideas for the Better Government Americans Desperately Want
From cronyist subsidies to an unfair tax code, there are several key fixes Congress could make to better serve the public.
Medicare for All Would Be a Terrible Trade
Top-notch health care, delivered fast and for low cost, really isn’t on the government's menu.
Biden Brags About Falling Deficits, but the Federal Fiscal Situation Is Still 'Unsustainable'
Under current policies, Social Security and Medicare will consume 85 percent of all federal tax revenue by 2050.
Biden Is Trying To Pass a Wealth Tax—Again. It Could Be Unconstitutional.
The president's new budget plan calls on Congress to tax wealthy Americans' unrealized capital gains.
Our Insane Government Spending Will Hurt Our Response to Ukraine
We must face the reality that the debt does matter.
Congress Wants Taxpayers To Bail Out the Postal Service
The House passed the bill this week with little fanfare and broad bipartisan support.
Additional Thoughts on the Supreme Court's Covid-19 Mandate Decisions
Assorted observations on yesterday's opinions, what they mean, and what comes next.
BREAKING: SCOTUS Stays OSHA Vax-or-Test Rule, Allows CMS Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers to Take Effect
By divided votes, the justices entered stayed t the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard and stayed the lower court injunctions against the mandate that Medicare and Medicaid service providers require their employees to get vaccinated.
Injunction Against Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandates Unlikely to Be Stayed Before 2022
The Supreme Court has asked for responses to the federal government's stay request.
Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandate Reaches the Supreme Court
The Biden Administration is seeking to stay lower court injunctions against the mandate.
Fifth Circuit Narrows Injunction Against CMS Vaccine Mandate for Medicaid and Medicare Providers
The district court's justification for a nationwide injunction was decidedly lacking.
Will Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers Be First to Reach the Supreme Court?
Now that a federal appeals court has weighed in, the CMS mandate may reach One First Street.
Medicare's Fiscal Ruin
Are Medicare's fiscal problems even worse than the headline numbers suggest?
Biden Administration Imposes Vaccine Mandate on Health Care Facilities that Participate in Medicare or Medicaid
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has adopted a more stringent rule for health care providers than OSHA is imposing on large employers.
Health Care Provisions of Democratic Spending Bill Would Add More than $500 Billion to the Deficit
New analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows massive deficit increase as a result of spending bill’s health care provisions.
Progressives Want To Use a Giant Budget Gimmick To Hide the Cost of the Democrats' Spending Bill
When everything's a priority, nothing is.
Joe Manchin Isn't the Fiscal Conservative We Need, but He's the Best We've Got
"Spending trillions more on new and expanded government programs, when we can't even pay for the essential social programs...is the definition of fiscal insanity."
Blame Both Parties if the Federal Government Shuts Down in December
Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling, while Republicans occasionally remember they're against big government spending.
Medicare Is About To Run Out of Money. Democrats Want To Make the Program Cost Even More.
The federal health care program is on track for a trust fund shortfall in just five years. But instead of paying for the program that exists, Democrats want to expand it.
How 9/11 Actually Changed Everything
Plus, why is no one talking about the Medicare Trustees' entitlement report?
Key Medicare Fund Will Be Insolvent in Just Five Years
The health program won't be able to pay all of its bills starting in 2026, according to a new Trustees report.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Is a Sham
The Senate just passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill—and teed up another $3.5 trillion bill in the process.
Democrats' $3.5 Trillion Fully-Paid-for Spending Plan Probably Won't Be Fully Paid for
The spending proposal is likely to be offset by gimmicks and rosy assumptions.
Democrats Are Considering a $6 Trillion Infrastructure Plan That Has Little to Do With Infrastructure
For many elected Democrats, infrastructure is much more than roads, bridges, dams, and waterways.
Biden's $6 Trillion Budget Plan Is Even More Expensive Than It Looks
The White House chose not to include cost estimates for a number of big-ticket health care policies—while still expressing support for them.
Medicare for All Is Bad Medicine
A better prescription would be to get government entirely out of health care.
These Doctors Exemplify the Virtues of Free Market Medicine
"Direct primary care is about as close to a free market in health care as you've ever seen in our country," says Dr. Lee Gross.
We Should Keep Expanding Telehealth, Even After the Pandemic
Senators and state officials are proposing ways to sweep aside nonsensical regulations that place geographic limits on telehealth.
On Health Care, the 2020 Presidential Race Pits Bad Ideas Against Bad Faith
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death elevates a familiar health care policy dynamic to the foreground of the election.
Should the Government Provide Health Insurance to All Americans? A Soho Forum Debate
Gerald Friedman of the University of Massachusetts says yes, while the Pacific Research Institute's Sally Pipes says no.
Does COVID-19 Strengthen the Case for Medicare for All? A Soho Forum Debate
Gerald Friedman of the University of Massachusetts says yes, while the Pacific Research Institute's Sally Pipes says no.
Obamacare Is Still Struggling. So Why Are Democrats Winning the Health Care Argument?
The GOP’s decadeslong refusal to offer a compelling health care alternative has given Democrats the political upper hand.
An Epidemic Big Enough to Accommodate Everyone's Wish List
Politicians of both major parties are using COVID-19 to advance their pre-existing policy agendas.
Elizabeth Warren Drops Out. Her Failed Campaign Is a Reminder That Even Democratic Voters Don't Want a Woke Policy Wonk in the White House.
The Massachusetts senator failed to expand her appeal beyond a core group of highly educated upper-middle-class voters.
Bernie Sanders' New Favorite Medicare for All Study Has Major Problems
Medicare for All would cost far, far more than he says.