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3+ hour, 3+ min ago (1087+ words) Many older Americans have a straightforward plan for affording retirement: Work longer, or never stop working at all. But in fact, about 40 percent of the employed population will quit their jobs earlier than expected " and one of the main reasons is an unexpected disability. The results can be devastating for economic security in retirement " lost income can force these early retirees to live off whatever savings they have accumulated, and to claim Social Security at the youngest possible age, 62, foregoing the higher benefits that come from delayed claiming. But older workers who become disabled do have an important option to avoid that outcome. They can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance, a program that provides a substantial portion of their full retirement benefit. But the insurance program is at a crossroads. For years, applicants have faced very long backlogs before…...

3+ hour, 29+ min ago (134+ words) KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed Affordable Care Act subsidies on Crooked Media's What a Day on Dec. 10 and on Slate's What Next on Dec. 9. KFF Health News Washington health policy reporter Amanda Seitz discussed the cost of insurance on Illinois Public Media's The 21st Show on Dec. 10. KFF Health News Nevada correspondent Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez discussed Native Americans and the Rural Health Transformation Program on The Daily Yonder's The Yonder Report on Dec. 3. Vaccine Panel's Hepatitis B Vote Signals Further Turbulence for Immunization Policy, Public Trust Journalists Talk Increasing Insurance Costs, From Marketplace Plans to Employer Coverage Sticker Shock: Obamacare Customers Confront Premium Spikes as Congress Dithers Health Care Consolidation and Rising Costs Happen, but Obamacare Is Not the Key Culprit...

4+ hour, 58+ min ago (316+ words) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has mandated all acquirers, processors, payment terminal service aggregators and providers to establish dual connectivity with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL) within one month. The new directive aims to eliminate persistent Point of Sale (PoS) transaction failures. The directive contained in circular PSS/DIR/PUB/CIR/001/002 signed by Rakiya Yusuf, CBN director of the payments system supervision department builds on a September 2024 policy to end reliance on single routing channels that have plagued the nation's cashless payments ecosystem. Read also: Reps advance bill to amend CBN Act Under the rules, "All Acquirers, Processors, and Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) shall establish and maintain active connectivity with both licensed Payments Terminal Service Aggregators (PTSAs), namely the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL)." PoS…...

5+ hour, 12+ min ago (506+ words) One of former Mayor Eddie Sundquist's best policy decisions came with trying to move city retirees off of the city's health insurance policies and onto Medicare. The move was to save about $1.1 million a year, according to Sundquist's 2021 budget presentation. The idea initially upset retirees, so the initiative was removed from the 2021 [] Big Cost-Saving Moves Are Not Easy To Make One of former Mayor Eddie Sundquist's best policy decisions came with trying to move city retirees off of the city's health insurance policies and onto Medicare. The move was to save about $1.1 million a year, according to Sundquist's 2021 budget presentation. The idea initially upset retirees, so the initiative was removed from the 2021 budget before finally being implemented after additional time was spent getting retired city employees on board. Costs associated with moving eligible retirees to a Medicare Supplement or Medicare…...

7+ hour, 43+ min ago (824+ words) With insurance premiums set to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans, Mike Johnson unveils alternative With health insurance premiums set to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans who purchase their coverage through Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces using tax credits that will expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts, the US House speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative late Friday. Johnson's bill comes as his party refuses to extend the enhanced tax subsidies for people who buy policies through the ACA, dubbed Obamacare by opponents of the 2010 law. Those subsidies help lower premiums for Americans who do not get insurance through employers. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, huddled behind closed doors to assemble the package for consideration next week as the House focuses the final days of its 2025 work on healthcare. "House Republicans are tackling…...

8+ hour, 48+ min ago (127+ words) 97 percent of inpatient hospital markets lack meaningful competition....From 2014 to 2026, individual market premiums are up 129 percent, employer-sponsored insurance premiums are up 68 percent, and general inflation is up 39 percent...In 2026, the average deductible for an individual on a bronze plan is $7,476, and the average deductible for an individual on a silver (no CSR) plan is $5,304....The federal taxpayer share of the premium increased gradually from 68 percent of the premium in 2014 to nearly 80 percent in 2020. As a result of the COVID credits, the federal taxpayer share of the premium reached 93 percent... Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you....

8+ hour, 57+ min ago (1253+ words) Jamie and Carrie Wright rattle off the numbers with ease. It's $36,000 for a single dose of Jamie's cancer-suppressing shot, which he needs every 28 days. A patient support program will cover the $1,400 copay, but that means it doesn't count toward their $15,000 in out-of-pocket costs. Neither did the $1,167 Carrie needed for a copay before her nerve ablation last month. Then, there's Jamie's scans every six months and her thyroid medication" The Wrights juggle the above costs with the assistance of Ipsencares (which pays for the shot's copay) and credit cards. But there's one number that they haven't squared away: $1,792. That's their projected monthly insurance premium in 2026 if Congress doesn't extend enhanced marketplace tax credits. That's 265% more than their current $490 monthly premium, which is significantly reduced by federal tax credits. "We're fortunate," said Carrie, noting they have adult children. "We only have the…...

9+ hour, 26+ min ago (507+ words) Pandemic-era tax credits for Affordable Care Act premiums are set to expire at the end of the year if lawmakers don't find a solution soon. Now, many are left wondering if they can afford to stay insured. For millions who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance, time to enroll is about to run out. Pandemic-era tax credits that help keep premiums low are set to expire at the end of this year. Congress is deadlocked on a solution and many are left questioning whether they can afford marketplace insurance at all. According to independent health policy research organization KFF, most enrollees will see their premiums more than double on average if the enhanced tax credits expire. The deadline to enroll in an ACA plan for Jan. 1 is Monday. The last open enrollment period ends Jan. 15 for coverage…...

9+ hour, 36+ min ago (27+ words) As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the number of uninsured Americans will increase by 10 million by 2034....

11+ hour, 11+ min ago (325+ words) Latino families in Florida are facing a more severe affordability crisis " particularly in health care and child care " compared to Latinos nationally. The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State. "For Florida families whose children have not received child care, 47% say this is due to a lack of affordable child care options, compared to 32% nationally," according to the report. The survey revealed that "34% of Florida families reported having to reduce working hours due to a lack of affordable child care," a figure substantially higher than the 24% national average, underscoring how child care access directly dictates economic productivity for these families. Gaps…...