Medicare Blog

what should the president and congress do to stengthen and protect medicare and social security

by Modesto Kling Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Will Trump's budget protect Medicare and Social Security?

His budgets have sought cuts. President Trump vowed Thursday that he “will protect Medicare and Social Security” — a promise akin to one he made as a candidate in 2016. But throughout his first term, he repeatedly tried to cut these programs in his proposed budgets.

Does the Senate Republicans’ plan end Social Security and Medicare?

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee claimed that the "Senate Republicans’ plan" would "end Social Security" and "end Medicare." The ad refers not to a plan from Senate Republicans but from one Republican, Scott. The plan would sunset all federal laws after five years, requiring Congress to renew the laws it wants to keep.

What problems does Biden's plan to fund Social Security address?

Among the problems people face include long waits on the Social Security Administration’s 800 number, a backlog of disability insurance cases under review and the closure of many field offices. While the Covid pandemic exacerbated these issues, the funding Biden is proposing could help alleviate those concerns.

What would happen to Medicare and Medicaid if Congress reversed Obamacare?

Congress would have to renew the laws it wants to keep. As the New York Times reported: "Taken literally, that would leave the fate of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to the whims of a Congress that rarely passes anything so expansive."

How can the government improve Social Security?

Tax Increases to Fix Social SecurityIncrease payroll taxes. Right now, employees and employers each contribute 6.2% of an employee's pay in taxes to help fund Social Security. ... Increase taxable maximum. Only the first $142,800 of a worker's earnings is subject to the 12.4% in Social Security taxes. ... Tax fringe benefits.

What can you do now to help save Social Security and Medicare?

Here are the four most promising ways to help save Social Security Now. Increase Payroll Taxes. ... Increase the Full Retirement Age. ... Increase Income Level Subject to Social Security Taxes. ... Decrease Taxes on Social Security Income.

Which US president helped to establish the Social Security system?

The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. In addition to several provisions for general welfare, the new Act created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement.

How should we reform Social Security?

Social Security benefits should be taxed in a manner consistent with employer-provided pension income, and the existing lower-income thresholds should be phased out over the next 20 years. The resulting increase in income-tax revenue should be transferred to the trust funds.

What is the solution to Social Security?

Repair options include raising the payroll tax, raising or eliminating the ceiling over which no Social Security taxes are paid, changing how COLA is calculated, raising the retirement age, and investing Social Security funds in the stock market.

What does the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare do?

NCPSSM works to preserve entitlement programs through direct mail campaigns, candidate endorsements, incumbent ratings, grassroots activity, issue advertising, and campaign contributions.

What was the major goal of the Social Security Act?

This was the Social Security Act, which became law in August 1935. Its major goal was to provide some security for the elderly and for unemployed workers. With the support of Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, Roosevelt and his team spent months preparing the bill. The framers viewed it primarily as an insurance bill.

Who was the first president to tap into Social Security?

Which political party started taxing Social Security annuities? A3. The taxation of Social Security began in 1984 following passage of a set of Amendments in 1983, which were signed into law by President Reagan in April 1983.

Was the Social Security Act successful?

Eighty-six years after President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935, Social Security remains one of the nation's most successful, effective, and popular programs.

What changes would you recommend for the future to ensure the strength of the Social Security program?

Increase the Payroll Tax Cap This cap generally increases every year as the national average wage increases. Today, the cap covers about 83 percent of total earnings in the nation. Raising the cap to cover a higher percentage of total earnings would help close Social Security's funding gap.

Why Should Social Security be reformed?

The fundamental reason Social Security must be reformed is that the benefits promised to the public have a present value that is $13.6 trillion greater than the present value of the revenues that the system is projected to receive.

Can Social Security Be Saved?

Introduction. As a result of changes to Social Security enacted in 1983, benefits are now expected to be payable in full on a timely basis until 2037, when the trust fund reserves are projected to become exhausted.

Crist: Protect, strengthen Social Security, Medicare

Social Security and Medicare represent America’s promise that after a lifetime of hard work and paying into the system, senior citizens have earned greater financial security in their golden years, free from abject poverty. Likewise, Medicaid is a commitment to the very poor and disabled, that they not be left hopeless and without medical care.

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Who introduced the Social Security Reform Act of 2016?

And former Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, introduced the Social Security Reform Act of 2016, which would shrink Social Security. Read Fixing Social Security and Comparing Democratic and Republican Approaches to Fixing Social Security.

What would happen if the Social Security cap was removed?

Removal of the Social Security tax cap would be especially costly for self-employed, high-income individuals, who bear both the employee and employer portion of the tax. As a result of the elimination of the cap, individuals residing in high-tax states could be subject to a marginal tax rate exceeding 60%.

How much would Biden's plan boost?

Biden’s plan would also boost median benefits 27% for beneficiaries in the bottom fifth of the lifetime earnings distribution compared with only 14% for beneficiaries in the top three-fifths of the lifetime earnings distribution.

Did Biden push for a bipartisan commission?

What’s more, Johnson doesn’t expect Biden to push for a bipartisan commission to study and propose Social Security reforms as happened under President Barack Obama. Read The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. “There are plenty of good policy reasons for change to take place,” said Johnson.

When will Social Security be depleted?

The trustees estimated in its most recent report that, if policymakers take no further action, Social Security’s combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund reserves will be depleted in 2035. And that means Social Security, after 2035, could pay about three-quarters of scheduled benefits using its tax ...

Is Social Security a priority?

Social Security's financial future is an urgent priority, but it'll still come after action on the economy and COVID, experts say. The Biden Administration says it plans to multi-task. But there’s at least one task outlined in its pre-election plan that it won’t get to anytime soon, according to several experts.

Will there be a re-examination of Medicaid eligibility?

There will be increasing focus on gun violence and opioids as public health issues. There may be a re-examination of who is eligible for Medicaid, and also what is covered. This has the potential to be very disruptive to long-term care financing.

Fact check: 'Record' job gains still leave the U.S. labor market in worse shape than Great Recession

On the last night of his party’s convention, President Trump bragged about “record” job gains in recent months, but the 9.1 million jobs he touts come with some qualifiers.

Trump usually includes new material in major speeches. Not tonight

President Trump spoke for roughly 70 minutes on Thursday, one of the longest convention speeches in modern history.

Trump speech missing several of his favorite talking points

While President Trump launched attack after attack on Joe Biden, he left out a number of his favorite topics of criticism in his acceptance speech.

Fact check: Trump claims Biden wants to 'close all charter schools.' That's false

"Biden also vowed to oppose school choice and close all charter schools, ripping away the ladder of opportunity for Black and Hispanic children," Trump claimed on Tuesday night.

Fact check: Trump repeats out-of-context Biden comment to mislead on police stance

President Trump, arguing that Americans wouldn't be safe under Joe Biden, repeated a claim Mike Pence made Wednesday, quoting the former vice president as saying, "Yes, absolutely," as a response to whether he'd broadly support cutting funding for law enforcement.

Fact check: Trump boasts of delivering PPE early in pandemic, doesn't mention ongoing shortages

"We shipped hundreds of millions of masks, gloves and gowns to our frontline health care workers.

Trump mentions Kenosha, not Jacob Blake

Midway through his speech Thursday, Donald Trump mentioned Kenosha, Wisconsin — but did not make mention of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by the city's police.

More from Life Changes

Here’s a look at other stories offering a financial angle on important lifetime milestones.

Seeking bipartisan support

The plan also integrates a couple of elements that might help draw support from across the aisle.

Why is it important to have more money for Social Security?

One advocacy group — the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare — says that more money would be crucial to help improve the administration’s ability to serve current beneficiaries and benefit applicants.

Who is the Commissioner of Social Security?

The money would allow the Social Security Administration to pursue a host of improvement efforts, Social Security Administration Commissioner Andrew Saul said in the agency’s budget overview.

What is the proposed increase in Social Security funding for 2022?

Key Points. President Joe Biden is calling for a 9.7% increase in funding to the Social Security Administration. The $14.2 billion proposed for 2022 would help the administration in one key area, customer service, as the agency regroups from the pandemic.

How much money will the Social Security Administration get in 2022?

President Joe Biden’s 2022 budget could give the Social Security Administration a $1.3 billion — or 9.7% — boost in funding. In total, the president is calling for $14.2 billion for the agency for fiscal year 2022.

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