Affordable Care Act vital to
Americans' economic security
The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2010, seeks to make coverage more affordable and increase the number of people with health insurance. As the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates on the act, we need to build on the success of the law, not tear it down, AFT president Randi Weingarten says. "Access to affordable healthcare is an essential building block to restoring the middle class and providing economic security to all Americans," she says. "High-quality, affordable healthcare should not be a luxury for a few, but a promise to all, and the Affordable Care Act is making that promise a reality for millions of Americans."
Read more about why we need the act on AFT.org
Get the facts on healthcare reform
Playing inflation games with grandma
In an effort to reduce Social Security payments, some members of Congress are proposing a switch to a "chained consumer price index" (CPI), which is a smaller measure of inflation. According to its supporters, using a chained CPI would make the annual cost-of-living adjustment more accurate and save the government money. However, opponents of the chained CPI say its use would result in an immediate benefit cut to seniors and would make it harder for them to make ends meet.
Read why chained CPI is no good for seniors
Get more details from the Center for Economic Policy and Research
Oppose the reckless Ryan budget plan
The Republicans' fiscal year 2013 budget resolution fails to offer a sensible path forward for creating jobs, rebuilding the middle class, caring for our most vulnerable citizens and dealing with our long-term economic stability. Instead, it prioritizes tax breaks for upper-income Americans and corporations, while dramatically cutting discretionary funds that support education, training and health initiatives that are essential to educating our children and helping our economy grow. What's more, the budget resolution would end Medicare as we know it and leave seniors without access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.
Read more about it at AFT.org
Savvy saving seniors
For many older adults, the path to economic security begins with basic money management. Learning how to budget, avoid scams and apply for benefits can help seniors stay secure and independent longer. With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, the National Council on Aging has developed several toolkits to help professionals educate older adults about good money skills.
Learn more at the National Council on Aging
Social Security’s financial health worsens
The Obama administration recently reported a significant deterioration in the financial outlook for Social Security, while stating that the financial condition of Medicare was stable but still unsustainable. The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2033, three years sooner than projected last year, the administration said. And Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund will be depleted in 2024, the same as last year’s estimate, it said.
The New York Times has the story
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Affordable Care Act vital to Americans' economic security
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