Even as most policymakers continue to ignore the looming insolvency of Social Security—and the 23% reduction in benefits it will produce in seven years—policy experts across the political spectrum increasingly are leaning into the challenge, often in creative new ways. While they have developed broadly different solutions, they share similar goals: To restore long-term solvency of the program while improving [...]
A recent column in The Washington Post by housing finance expert Jim Parrott placed much of the blame for the current housing shortage on a tax that, he argued, discourages older adults from selling their homes. I’m glad Parrott raised the important issue of seniors staying in their homes as they age. But his diagnosis is largely wrong. Tax law [...]
The inability of Congress and President Trump to agree on a government funding bill, and the shutdown it caused, could have a severe impact on the well-being of older adults and younger people with disabilities. While Social Security and Medicare benefits appear safe, sufficient staff may not be available to issue or replace lost cards, or address eligibility issues. Funding [...]
The latest vaccine recommendations by a federal Centers for Disease Control advisory panel could put older adults at risk for severe illness. Not directly, perhaps, but due to growing uncertainty over the risks and benefits of vaccines. In addition, the changes may end up costing the government, through Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private insurance, billions of dollars—costs that [...]
I and others have written endlessly about the importance of supporting family caregivers. They are the backbone of the system of care that supports frail older adults and younger people with disabilities. Often, their assistance is vastly more important than costly medical treatment. But many family members provide this care with little or no training, no guidance about services that [...]
Three things are true about long-term care, though many Americans don’t want to believe it: You are very likely to need it in old age. It will cost a lot more than you think. And, no, Medicare won’t pay for it. Two recent studies help explain how Americans think about the financial aspects of their long-term care needs, and why [...]
I recently visited a friend who is in his 80s and was hospitalized after a fall. He did not know where he was, was convinced lawyers had come to visit him in the night (a truly horrifying thought), and was extremely agitated. While it still is not clear what happened, he may have been experiencing delirium, which happens to as [...]
Since Congress passed the big tax and spending bill on July 3, most observers have focused their attention on its cuts to Medicaid, the program that helps support low-income older adults and people with disabilities. But the Trump Administration is quietly making big changes to Medicare, the program that insures nearly 70 million seniors and younger people with disabilities. Just [...]
The typical family caregiver is a 50-something woman who spends 27 hours a week caring for an aging parent who has two or more serious medical conditions, and is doing so with little outside assistance, according to a new survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. While that describes a typical caregiver, many different family members serve as [...]
The massive 2025 budget bill, which Congress passed on July 3, would slash safety net programs for older adults, people with disabilities, and their family caregivers, though many of those cuts may not take effect for years. At the same time, the bill would lower taxes for some older adults. The measure would reduce Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion [...]