#best medicare advantage plans

[medicarehealthshop01]

Medicare Advantage Plans Near Me

Find the best Medicare Advantage plans near me with our help. We provide local support to compare options available in your area. Contact us at 206-309-5005 or visit https://shopmedicarehealth.com/.

[theliveleads]

turning 65 medicare leads

What is Medicare Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for people aged 65 and older, "turning 65 medicare leads" though it also covers certain younger individuals with disabilities. It consists of several parts, each covering different aspects of healthcare:

Medicare Part A: Covers hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care.

Medicare Part B: Covers outpatient services, doctor visits, preventive care, and medical supplies.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage): Plans offered by private insurance companies that combine Part A and Part B coverage, often with additional benefits like vision and dental.

Medicare Part D: Prescription drug coverage, offered through private insurance companies.

When and How to Enroll Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): This is the seven-month period that begins three months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends three months after that month. It’s crucial to enroll during this period to avoid potential penalties.

Special Enrollment Periods (SEP): If you have qualifying circumstances, such as continuing to work past 65 and having employer coverage, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

General Enrollment Period (GEP): If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period and do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you can enroll during the General Enrollment Period, which runs from January 1 to March 31 each year, with coverage starting July 1.

Considerations for Choosing Coverage Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare: Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) offer an alternative to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). They often include prescription drug coverage and additional benefits, but restrict you to a network of providers. Original Medicare allows more flexibility in choosing healthcare providers but requires separate enrollment in Part D for prescription drug coverage.

Medigap Policies: Also known as Medicare Supplement Insurance, these policies help cover costs that Original Medicare doesn’t, such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. They can provide financial security by limiting out-of-pocket expenses.

Understanding Costs Premiums: Most people do not pay a premium for Medicare Part A (if they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working). Part B and Part D premiums are based on income and can change annually.

Deductibles and Copayments: Both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage have cost-sharing requirements, including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Medigap policies can help cover these expenses.

Planning for the Future Reviewing Coverage Annually: Medicare plans can change annually, so it’s important to review your coverage options during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7) to ensure your plan still meets your needs.

Considering Long-Term Care: Medicare does not cover long-term care (custodial care), so you may want to consider long-term care insurance or Medicaid planning for potential future needs.

Conclusion Turning 65 and becoming eligible for Medicare is a significant milestone. Understanding the different parts of Medicare, " when and how to enroll, and the various coverage options available can help you make informed decisions about your healthcare. Whether you choose Original Medicare with or without a Medigap policy, or opt for a Medicare Advantage plan, careful planning and consideration of your healthcare needs and budget are key to ensuring you have the coverage you need as you enter this new phase of life."turning 65 medicare leads"

[mcnicholfinancialandhealthcar]

ACA Health Insurance Plans

Discover ACA health insurance plans designed to provide comprehensive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. These plans ensure essential health benefits, preventive care, and protection against high medical costs. Compare different ACA health insurance plans to find one that fits your budget and healthcare needs. Enroll now to secure quality, affordable health insurance for you and your family.

[getmemymedicareblog]

Secure Your Health with the Best Medicare Advantage Plans in 2023

As the new year rolls in, it's time to reassess your healthcare options and choose the best Medicare Advantage plan for your needs. With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to figure out which plan is right for you. That's why we've done the research and compiled a list of the #best #Medicare #Advantage #plans in #2023. Our team of healthcare experts has analyzed the benefits, costs, and coverage of various plans to bring you the top options available. From low-cost plans to comprehensive coverage, we've got you covered.

[lifeandinsurances]

How do I know if I need Medicare Supplement Insurance?

[accesshealthcarephysicians]

Right Medicare Advantage Plan Coverage For You

If you are turning 65 or newly eligible to enroll in Medicare, get the facts about your coverage options, benefits, and costs so you can choose the plan that’s right for you. Our Medicare Advantage plans deliver the level of care you need — plus many extras you want.

[collapsedsquid]

An algorithm, not a doctor, predicted a rapid recovery for Frances Walter, an 85-year-old Wisconsin woman with a shattered left shoulder and an allergy to pain medicine. In 16.6 days, it estimated, she would be ready to leave her nursing home. On the 17th day, her Medicare Advantage insurer, Security Health Plan, followed the algorithm and cut off payment for her care, concluding she was ready to return to the apartment where she lived alone. Meanwhile, medical notes in June 2019 showed Walter’s pain was maxing out the scales and that she could not dress herself, go to the bathroom, or even push a walker without help. It would take more than a year for a federal judge to conclude the insurer’s decision was “at best, speculative” and that Walter was owed thousands of dollars for more than three weeks of treatment. While she fought the denial, she had to spend down her life savings and enroll in Medicaid just to progress to the point of putting on her shoes, her arm still in a sling.

Feels like that sort of mistake should be easily a few mil

[kp777]

By Ed Weisbart

Common Dreams

July 30, 2024

If we want to build on the promise of Medicare, then we’re going to have to grapple directly with the power of corporate health insurance: That starts with taking on the so-called “Medicare Advantage” program.

Fifty-nine years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law—a high-water mark in the fight for universal healthcare that had started decades before and that continues to this day.

Ever since Medicare became law, it has been a shining example of what is possible in U.S. healthcare: a truly public, truly universal program that has saved countless lives and prevented untold financial ruin among America’s seniors. But alongside this success, corporate health interests have also grown immeasurably more powerful. Insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have erected cruel barriers to care and are laughing all the way to the bank.

If we want to build on the promise of Medicare—and win the best possible version of Medicare for All—then we’re going to have to grapple directly with the power of corporate health insurance. That starts with taking on the so-called “Medicare Advantage” program.

The Strategic Importance of Medicare Advantage

Single-payer advocates understand that there can’t be “Medicare for All” if there is no “Medicare.” And no, Medicare Advantage (MA) doesn’t count as Medicare. The health insurance corporations that run these plans have a business imperative to prioritize profits above all else; this is anathema to any public health program.

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has compiled overwhelming evidence that MA insurers are harming patients, physicians, and hospitals by delaying and denying care—harms that are virtually unseen in Traditional Medicare. Nor is this cruelty even a trade-off for lowering the cost of healthcare. In fact, these corporations are paid far more than what is spent for similar patients in Traditional Medicare—up to $140 billion per year, or as much as 35% above the funding levels of Traditional Medicare.

There is no road to Medicare for All that ignores this existential threat.

Where we see middlemen standing between patients and the care they need, we should remove them. Where we see limited provider networks, we should expand them. Where we see piles of pre-authorization paperwork, we should shred them.

Thankfully, support for eliminating overpayments to MA extends far beyond those who are already committed to single payer. This fight builds our movement by mobilizing a wide range of people who understand, or can be educated about, the damage insurance companies are doing to patients. When we find common ground, we should walk together.

For that reason, PNHP is exposing MA overpayments and demanding a more fiscally responsible approach from policymakers. We are working closely with several organizations to change the national conversation and provide a badly needed counterweight to the lobbying might of big insurance.

When MA was created, way back in 2003, corporate insurers promised to reduce the cost of healthcare by improving care coordination and health outcomes. A healthier population, they claimed, would be less expensive. We should demand that MA corporations live up to these lofty promises without billions of dollars in overpayments.

We’d like to see them try.

Improved Medicare… for ALL

Winning back $140 billion in annual overpayments begs a tantalizing question: How can we use those funds to improve Medicare for all seniors?

Instead of the paltry benefits that MA plans offer, those funds would help us add robust hearing, vision, and dental benefits; totally eliminate Medicare Part B premiums; and fold in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Imagine the relief a senior on Medicare Advantage would feel when enrolling in a plan that actually covers the full range of dental care, while also freeing themselves from the narrow provider networks and prior authorization requirements imposed by MA plans.

Most critically, we need to establish a low out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare. Insurance corporations lure seniors and people with disabilities into the MA trap by selling lower up-front costs while hiding substantial barriers to care. It’s a classic bait and switch. Eliminating the need to purchase Medigap would level the playing field and allow everybody to remain in Traditional Medicare.

Let’s work to build a movement of seniors, physicians, students, people with disabilities, and everybody else who cares about Medicare.

Well, not everybody—but that’s our ultimate goal. PNHP advocates for a national single-payer health insurance program, and what better way to get there than through an improved version of the already popular Medicare program?

Where we see middlemen standing between patients and the care they need, we should remove them. Where we see limited provider networks, we should expand them. Where we see piles of pre-authorization paperwork, we should shred them.

We should also expand benefits to include all medically necessary care, and ultimately eliminate out-of-pocket costs that deter people from seeing a doctor. Once these improvements are in place, we will have a program that’s truly worthy of the name Medicare for All.

The advocacy work for these priorities—ending MA overpayments, improving Traditional Medicare, and realizing our vision for single payer—overlap and build on one another.

Let’s work to build a movement of seniors, physicians, students, people with disabilities, and everybody else who cares about Medicare. Together, we can take on the corporate insurers that are wreaking so much havoc in our lives and lay the groundwork for winning a single-payer program that brings everybody in and leaves nobody out.

Ed Weisbart, MD, is a retired family physician in Olivette, Missouri, and board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program.

[medicarehealthshop01]

Medicare Health Insurance

Our team helps you understand your options for Medicare health insurance to ensure you choose the right plan. Call 206-309-5005 or visit https://shopmedicarehealth.com/ for expert advice.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

US health insurers get more and more federal funding, deliver less and less care

The American healthcare system is the worst of all possible worlds. Unlike every other wealthy country, the US leaves its health insurance to the private sector, where your health and your life are a distant second to shareholder profits. But it’s worse, because the majority of the money those terrible, “private” insurance companies “earn” comes from public subsidies.

In other words, the US has a privately run health care sector that is publicly financed, without any public accountability or duty to the public good. Insurance companies take ever more billions from the federal government and deliver ever less care to their customers.

Cigna-exec-turned-whistleblower Wendell Potter has just published a new report that breaks down share of federal subsidies in the largest US insurers’ bottom lines:

Humana: 91%

Molina: 89%

Centene: 86%

Aetna: 73%

Unitedhealth: 72%

Elevancehealth: 68%

Cigna: 42%

https://wendellpotter.substack.com/p/the-majority-of-big-insurers-health

See that? The vast majority of US insurers’ income is public funding. That’s because of Medicare Advantage, a privatized Medicare service that 27 million older people have been tricked into signing up for, which consistently delivers worse service with higher out-of-pockets, while billing the US government for billions.

You should not sign up for Medicare Advantage, nor let anyone you love do so. Medicare Advantage will deny you care you are entitled to and leave you to sicken and die, while draining the last of your savings in co-pays:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/health/medicare-advantage-plans-report.html

The insurers aren’t done. They raised their prices by 24% in a single year:

https://wendellpotter.substack.com/p/the-price-of-health-insurance-has

Despite these massive profits, spiraling fees, and mounting premiums, the Biden admin is on track to let the insurers raise their prices again, though not by as much as originally announced:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/politics/medicare-premiums-biden/index.html

You don’t have to be on Medicare to be part of the health insurance scam. If you’ve got an Obamacare subsidy, you are helping to transfer billions in public money to insurers, even as these ACA plans grow steadily worse. ACA plans deny one in five claims:

https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/issue-brief/claims-denials-and-appeals-in-aca-marketplace-plans/

Meanwhile, the out-of-pocket expenses your ACA insurer can rook you for just went up to $14,700/year:

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/#:~:text=For%20the%202022%20plan%20year,and%20%2417%2C400%20for%20a%20family.

ACA coverage is so poor that many of the people paying for it are best understood as “functionally uninsured”:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/07/27/functionally-uninsured-the-fiction-of-healthcare-coverage/?sh=5e6547a2680b

ACA was sold as a brokered compromise between public healthcare advocates and private healthcare cultists. It created a situation where private insurers could grow larger, more powerful, more profitable, and less accountable to government, patients or doctors, so that care would steadily erode and prices mount.

ACA set the stage for Medicare privatization through Medicare Advantage. It was the template for the public-private-partnership from hell, teeing up a future where we finally get the wildly popular Medicare For All, but delivered by the same murdering profiteers who run the private system it was supposed to replace: Medicare Advantage For All.

As David Sirota writes in The Lever, Biden’s 2020 campaign recognized this, and promised us a public option where “premiums could be substantially lower than those of private plans,” but “Biden hasn’t once mentioned a public option since becoming president.”

https://www.levernews.com/health-insurers-get-government-cash-then-jack-up-prices/

When Congress votes to give billions in public money to the health insurance industry, it also votes to give millions to itself — our legislature is awash in health insurance company dark money, and Democrats — including members of the Progressive Caucus — are carrying its water:

https://bettermedicarealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/final_2022_house_ma_letter_.pdf

Giving for-profit insurance companies more public money will not translate into better care. The CEOs of every one of those publicly subsidized insurance companies took home more than $20 million in pay last year. 86% of Centene revenues came from the public coffers. Its (recently deceased) CEO Michael Neidorff paid himself $20.6 million.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We know how to fix this. Biden laid it out in 2020:

Giving Americans a new choice, a public health insurance option like Medicare. If your insurance company isn’t doing right by you, you should have another, better choice. Whether you’re covered through your employer, buying your insurance on your own, or going without coverage altogether, Biden will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare. As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers. It also will better coordinate among all of a patient’s doctors to improve the efficacy and quality of their care, and cover primary care without any co-payments. And it will bring relief to small businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees.

https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

People are angry at their insurers, and justifiably so. Cigna isn’t just raising prices and co-pays, it’s committing mass-scale fraud: “exaggerat[ing] the illnesses of its Medicare members to obtain higher payments from the federal government.” Also credibly accused of Medicare fraud: Unitedhealth and Elevance.

https://www.modernhealthcare.com/insurance/doj-joins-cigna-medicare-advantage-fraud-case

In 2019, I published Radicalized, a collection of four novellas subtitled “four tales of our present moment.” The title story, “Radicalized,” was frightening and upsetting to write, but I couldn’t stop myself. It’s a story about angry men who watch the people they love the most slowly and agonizingly murdered by care-denying insurance companies, who meet on message boards where they plot to murder health-care executives.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250228598/radicalized

Having grown up in Canada and then spent more than a decade in the UK — and now become a US citizen — it’s incredible to me that Americans tolerate this ghastly, worsening system. Not that I want to see terrorist violence! The very idea is sickening and terrifying.

But it is baffling to me that there are Americans who shoot each other over road-rage and yet as far as I know, the $20m/year vampire CEOs of profiteering, fraud-addicted insurance companies are living in comfort and safety.

It’s one of the great paradoxes of the American psyche: all of that macho, don’t-tread-on-me posturing turns to vapor when the person who’s literally condemning your family to die is a distant corporate executive.

All that anger has to be out there, somewhere, channeled by cynical operators into scapegoating and nihilism. It’s a ticking time-bomb. Imagine the political win that would accrue to the party that made saving your life and the lives of the people you love its political centerpiece. A party that met astroturf with naming names, hauling insurance execs into Congress to confront grieving mothers, fathers, children and spouses. A party that refused to let Lucy yank the football again with a “compromise” that gives us a privately managed, publicly funded service that only serves shareholders and executives.

[Image ID: The cover for the audiobook edition of my novella 'Radicalized,' which features a vicious-looking mousetrap, baited with a pill.]

[medicarenationwide12]

Guiding Your Medicare Journey: Exploring Medicare Nationwide

Introduction: Accessible Healthcare Solutions with Medicare Nationwide

Medicare Nationwide serves as a guiding light for individuals navigating the complexities of Medicare across the United States. Committed to providing accessible healthcare solutions, Medicare Nationwide offers a comprehensive range of services and resources to empower beneficiaries in making informed decisions about their healthcare options.

Comprehensive Coverage Understanding

Understanding the nuances of Medicare coverage is essential for maximizing healthcare benefits. Medicare Nationwide provides extensive information on each aspect of Medicare. From Medicare Part A, which covers hospital stays and inpatient care, to Medicare Part B, encompassing outpatient services and medical supplies, Medicare Nationwide ensures beneficiaries have a thorough understanding of their coverage options.

Enrollment Assistance

Enrolling in Medicare can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. Medicare Nationwide offers enrollment assistance to guide beneficiaries through the process with ease. Whether individuals are enrolling for the first time or exploring coverage options during the annual enrollment period, Medicare Nationwide provides guidance and support. By explaining enrollment periods, eligibility criteria, and coverage options, Medicare Nationwide empowers beneficiaries to make well-informed decisions.

Comparing Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare Advantage plans, or Medicare Part C, provide an alternative way for beneficiaries to receive their Medicare benefits. Medicare Nationwide helps beneficiaries compare available Medicare Advantage plans in their area. By evaluating plan features, costs, and coverage options, beneficiaries can choose the plan that best fits their healthcare needs and financial situation.

Understanding Prescription Drug Coverage

Prescription drug coverage, known as Medicare Part D, is crucial for many beneficiaries. Medicare Nationwide offers valuable insights into Medicare Part D plans, including coverage details, formularies, and costs. Understanding prescription drug coverage options allows beneficiaries to access necessary medications affordably.

Exploring Supplemental Coverage Options

In addition to Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, beneficiaries may consider Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policies. Medicare Nationwide provides guidance on selecting the appropriate Medigap plan, including coverage options, costs, and enrollment requirements. This supplemental coverage fills gaps in Medicare coverage, providing added peace of mind.

Conclusion: Empowering Healthcare Decision-Making

In conclusion, Medicare Nationwide is a trusted resource for navigating the complexities of Medicare. By providing comprehensive coverage understanding, enrollment assistance, and support in exploring coverage options, Medicare Nationwide empowers beneficiaries to make informed decisions about their healthcare coverage. With Medicare Nationwide's guidance, beneficiaries can confidently navigate the Medicare landscape and access the healthcare they need.

[ralfmaximus]

On the 17th day, her Medicare Advantage insurer, Security Health Plan, followed the algorithm and cut off payment for her care, concluding she was ready to return to the apartment where she lived alone. Meanwhile, medical notes in June 2019 showed Walter’s pain was maxing out the scales and that she could not dress herself, go to the bathroom, or even push a walker without help.

It would take more than a year for a federal judge to conclude the insurer’s decision was “at best, speculative” and that Walter was owed thousands of dollars for more than three weeks of treatment. While she fought the denial, she had to spend down her life savings and enroll in Medicaid just to progress to the point of putting on her shoes, her arm still in a sling.

Ready for the next AI nightmare? Insurance claims.

Unpaywalled version of the article here.

[getmemymedicareblog]

Medicare advantage plans are a popular private insurance option for those who do not qualify for Medicare. However, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to Medicare Advantage.

[mariacallous]

Once again, the debt ceiling is in the news and a cause for concern. If the debt ceiling binds, and the U.S. Treasury does not have the ability to pay its obligations, the negative economic effects would quickly mount and risk triggering a deep recession.

The debt limit caps the total amount of allowable outstanding U.S. federal debt. The U.S. hit that limit—$31.4 trillion—on January 19, 2023, but the Department of the Treasury has been undertaking a set of “extraordinary measures” so that the debt limit does not yet bind. The Treasury estimates that those measures will be sufficient at least through early June. Sometime after that, unless Congress raises or suspends the debt limit before June, the federal government will lack the cash to pay all its obligations. Those obligations are the result of laws previously enacted by Congress. As our colleagues Len Burman and Bill Gale wrote in a recent Brookings piece, “Raising the debt limit is not about new spending; it is about paying for previous choices policymakers legislated.” 

The economic effects of such an unprecedented event would surely be negative. However, there is an enormous amount of uncertainty surrounding the speed and magnitude of the damage the U.S. economy will incur if the U.S. government is unable to pay all its bills for a time—it depends on how long the situation lasts, how it is managed, and the extent to which investors alter their views about the safety of U.S. Treasuries. An extended impasse is likely to cause significant damage to the U.S. economy. Even in a best-case scenario where the impasse is short-lived, the economy is likely to suffer sustained—and completely avoidable—damage. 

The U.S. government pays a lower interest rate on Treasury securities because of the unparalleled safety and liquidity of the Treasury market. Some estimates suggest that this advantage lowers the interest rate the government pays on Treasuries (relative to interest rates on the debt of other sovereign nations) on the order of 25 basis points (a quarter of a percentage point) on average. Given the current level of the debt, this translates into interest savings for the federal government of roughly $60 billion this year and more than $800 billion over the next decade. If a portion of this advantage were lost by allowing the debt limit to bind, the cost to the taxpayer could be significant. 

How will the U.S. Treasury operate when the debt limit binds? 

One cannot predict how Treasury will operate when the debt limit binds, given that this would be unprecedented. Treasury did have a contingency plan in place in 2011 when the country faced a similar situation, and it seems likely that Treasury would follow the contours of that plan if the debt limit were to bind this year. Under the plan, there would be no default on Treasury securities. Treasury would continue to pay interest on those Treasury securities as it comes due. And, as securities mature, Treasury would pay that principal by auctioning new securities for the same amount (and thus not increasing the overall stock of debt held by the public). Treasury would delay payments for all other obligations until it had at least enough cash to pay a full day’s obligations. In other words, it will delay payments to agencies, contractors, Social Security beneficiaries, and Medicare providers rather than attempting to pick and choose which payments to make that are due on a given day. 

Timely payments of interest and principal of Treasury securities alongside delays in other federal obligations would likely result in legal challenges. On the one hand, the motivation to pay principal and interest on time to avoid a default on Treasury securities is clear; on the other, lawsuits would probably argue that holders of Treasury securities have no legal standing to be paid before others. It is not clear how such litigation would turn out, as the law imposes contradictory requirements on the government. Treasury is required to make payments, honor the debt, and not go above the debt limit: three things that cannot all happen at once. 

Treasury may have the legal authority to mint and issue a “collectible” trillion-dollar platinum coin and deposit it at the Federal Reserve in exchange for cash to pay the government’s bills. However, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted recently that the Fed, reluctant to intervene in a partisan political dispute, might not accept the deposit. Others argue that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution—which says that “the validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned”—would allow the Treasury to ignore the debt limit. But those actions would certainly be viewed as circumventing the law that establishes the debt ceiling, and they would likely not prevent havoc in the debt market and many of the ill effects on the economy described below.  

How much would non-interest federal spending have to be cut? 

If the debt limit binds, and the Treasury were to make interest payments, then other outlays will have to be cut in an average month by about 20%. That would be necessary because over this period as a whole, the Congressional Budget Office expects close to 20 cents of every dollar of non-interest outlays to be financed by borrowing. However, the size of the cuts would vary from month to month because infusions of cash to the Treasury from tax revenues vary greatly by month. Tax revenues in July and August tend to be fairly muted. Thus, the required cuts to federal spending when an increase in federal debt is precluded are particularly large during these months. If Treasury wanted to be certain that it always had sufficient cash on hand to cover all interest payments, it might need to cut non-interest spending by 35% or more. 

How would a binding debt limit affect the economy? 

The economic costs of the debt limit binding, while assuredly negative, are enormously uncertain. Assuming interest and principal is paid on time, the very short-term effects largely depend on the expectations of financial market participants, businesses, and households. Would the stock market tumble precipitously the first day that a Social Security payment is delayed? Would the U.S. Treasury market, the world’s most important, function smoothly? Would there be a run on money market funds that hold short-term U.S. Treasuries? What actions would the Federal Reserve take to stabilize financial markets and the economy more broadly? 

Much depends on whether investors would be confident that Treasury would continue paying interest on time and on how long they think the impasse will persist. If people expect the impasse will be short-lived and are certain that the Treasury will not default on Treasury securities, it is possible that the initial response could be muted. However, that certainty would in part depend on whether there are swift legal challenges to the Treasury prioritizing interest payments and subsequent rulings.  

Regardless, even if the debt limit were raised quickly so that it only was binding for a few days, there could be lasting damage. At the very least, financial markets would likely anticipate such disruptions each time the debt limit nears in the future. In addition, the shock to financial markets and loss of business and household confidence could take time to abate. 

If the impasse were to drag on, market conditions would likely worsen with each passing day. Concerns about a default would grow with mounting legal and political pressures as Treasury security holders were prioritized above others to whom the federal government had obligations. Concerns would grow regarding the direct negative economic effects of a protracted sharp cut in federal spending.  

Worsening expectations regarding a possible default would make significant disruptions in financial markets increasingly probable. That could result in an increase in interest rates on newly-issued Treasuries. If financial markets started to pull back from U.S. Treasuries all together, the Treasury could have a difficult time finding buyers when it sought to roll over maturing debt, perhaps putting pressure on the Federal Reserve to purchase additional Treasuries in the secondary market. Such financial market disruptions would very likely be coupled with declines in the price of equities, a loss of consumer and business confidence, and a contraction in access to private credit markets. 

Financial markets, businesses, and households would become more pessimistic about a quick resolution and increasingly worried that a recession was inevitable. More and more people would feel economic pain because of delayed payments. Take just a few examples: Social Security beneficiaries seeing delays in their payments could face trouble with expenses such as rent and utilities; federal, state, and local agencies might see delays in payments that interrupt their work; federal contractors and employees would face uncertainty about how long their payments would be delayed. Those and other disruptions would have enormous economic and health consequences over time.  

Given that those disruptions would likely occur when the economy is growing slowly and perhaps contracting, the risk that the crisis would quickly trigger a deep recession is heightened. Moreover, tax revenues, the only resource the Treasury would have to pay interest on the debt, would be dampened, and the federal government would have to cut back on non-interest outlays with increasing severity. 

In a worst-case scenario, at some point Treasury would be forced to delay a payment of interest or principal on U.S. debt. Such an outright default on Treasury securities would very likely result in severe disruption to the Treasury securities market with acute spillovers to other financial markets and to the cost and availability of credit to households and businesses. Those developments could undermine the reputation of the Treasury market as the safest and most liquid in the world. 

Estimates of the effects of a binding debt limit on the U.S. economy 

It is obviously difficult to quantify the effects of a binding debt limit on the macroeconomy. However, history and illustrative scenarios provide some guidance. 

Evidence from prior “near-misses”: 

As discussed in this Hutchins Center Explains post, when Congress waited until the last minute to raise the debt ceiling in 2013, rates rose on Treasury securities scheduled to mature near the projected date the debt limit was projected to bind—by between 21 basis points and 46 basis points, according to an estimate from Federal Reserve economists—and liquidity in the Treasury securities market contracted. Yields across all maturities also increased a bit as well, according to the Federal Reserve economists’ study—by between 4 basis points and 8 basis points—reflecting investors’ fears of broader financial contagion. Similarly, after policymakers came close to the brink of the debt limit binding in 2011, the GAO estimated that the delays in raising the debt limit increased Treasury’s borrowing costs by about $1.3 billion that year. The fact that the estimated effects are small in comparison to the U.S. economy likely reflects that investors didn’t think it very likely that the debt ceiling would actually bind and thought that if it did, the impasse would be very short-lived. 

Evidence from macroeconomic models: 

In October 2013, the Federal Reserve simulated the effects of a binding debt ceiling that lasted one month—from mid-October to mid-November 2013—during which time Treasury would continue to make all interest payments. The Fed economists estimated that such an impasse would lead to an 80 basis point increase in 10-year Treasury yields, a 30% decline in stock prices, a 10% drop in the value of the dollar, and a hit to household and business confidence, with these effects waning over a two-year period. According to their analysis, this deterioration in financial conditions would result in a mild two-quarter recession, leading to an increase in the unemployment rate of 1.25 percentage points and 1.7 percentage points over the following two years. Such an increase in the unemployment rate today would mean the loss of 2 million jobs in 2022 and 2.7 million jobs in 2023. 

Macroeconomic Advisers conducted a similar exercise in 2013. It assessed the economic costs of two scenarios—one in which the impasse lasted just a short time and another in which it persisted for two months. Even in the scenario in which the impasse was resolved quickly, the economic consequences were substantial—a mild recession and a loss of 2.5 million jobs that returned only very slowly. For the two-month impasse, which included a deep cut to federal spending in one quarter, offset by a surge in spending in the next quarter, the effects were larger and longer lasting. In the analysis, such a scenario would lead to the near-term loss of up to 3.1 million jobs. Even two years after the crisis, there would be 2.5 million fewer jobs than there otherwise would have been. 

In 2021, when an impasse among policymakers once again threatened Treasury’s ability to pay its obligations, Moody’s Analytics concluded that the costs to the U.S. economy of allowing the debt limit to bind then would be severe. In Moody’s simulation, if the impasse lasted several months in the fall of 2021, employment would decline by 5 million and real GDP would decline almost 4% in the near term before recovering over the next few quarters. 

Conclusion 

While greatly uncertain, the effects of allowing the debt limit to bind could be quite severe, even assuming that principal and interest payments continue to be made. If instead the Treasury fails to fully make all principal and interest payments—because of political or legal constraints, unexpected cash shortfalls, or a failed auction of new Treasury securities—the consequences would be even more dire. 

The workarounds that have been proposed—the platinum coin, borrowing anyway, prioritizing payments—either bring significant legal uncertainty or are not sustainable solutions. These unlikely workarounds do not avoid the chaos that is inherent to the debt ceiling binding. The only effective solution is for Congress to increase the debt ceiling or, better yet, abolish it. 

[lunaamorris]

5 Ways For Small Business Owners To Reduce Their Taxable Income

Taxes can be anxious for a small business owner. You wear multiple hats, and one of the last things you want to do is give more of your hard-earned business profits to the nation.

Fortunately, there are many tax savings methods to reduce your taxable liability as a business owner. If you need methods to reduce your taxable income, consider some of the following ways below.

Employ a Family Member

The most suitable way to reduce taxes for your small business is by hiring one of your family members. The Internal Revenue Service allows for a variety of opportunities, all with the potential advantage of sheltering income from taxes. You can even hire your kids.

By hiring family members, small business owners can pay a lower marginal rate, or eliminate the tax on the income paid to their kids.

It is crucial to point out that earnings need to come from justified business goals. The IRS also lets small business owners have the benefit of reducing their taxes by hiring a spouse.

Depending on the advantages they may have through another job, you can even put aside retirement savings for them.

Start a Retirement Plan

As a small business owner, you give up a 401(k) contest compared to an employer. However, different retirement account options maximize retirement savings and reap valuable tax benefits. There are a variety of different retirement plan opportunities for business owners on the IRS website as a tax savings strategy.

Save Money for Healthcare Needs

One of the best methods to reduce small business taxes is by setting aside money for healthcare necessities. Medical costs continue to grow, and while you may be healthy now, saving money for unpredictable or future healthcare needs is crucial.

You can complete this through a Health Savings Account if you have a qualified high-deductible health plan.

By using HSAs, the business, and the employees can decrease taxes and potentially associated medical expenses.

Change Your Business Structure

As a small business owner, you do not have the advantage of an employer paying a part of your taxes. You are on the hook for the whole amount of Social Security and Medicare taxes.

As a limited liability company if your business is taxed you have to pay those taxes, though in distinctive circumstances you can eliminate half of those two tax responsibilities.

While there are different things to consider in this switch, like paying yourself adequate pay and other risks, it is a good way to reduce your taxable responsibility.

Deduct Travel Expenses

If you travel so much, you can reduce your business taxes. Business travel is completely deductible, though individual travel does not enjoy the same benefit. However, to maximize their business travel, small business owners can mix individual journeys with a justifiable business strategy.

With smart business tax planning, you can decrease your taxable revenue as a small business owner and maintain more of your funds operating for you. Just remember to consult a tax expert to assure you qualify for the possible savings.

[accesshealthcarephysicians]

Medicare Advantage Plan Coverage. How It Works While Away From Home

If you are wondering if Medicare Advantage plan coverage works overseas or not, then stay put. Today we will be discussing the entire topic in detail. Get all your Medicare benefits, plus extra no-cost programs and services, in one convenient plan.

For those who don't know, Medicare Advantage plans are a simple way to get both Medicare Part A and B coverage. Medicare Advantage is also known as Part C, and it’s offered by private organizations that follow Medicare rules.

Access Health Care Physicians, LLC is proud to offer a variety of Medicare Advantage Plans specifically developed for the beneficiaries in the counties that we serve. Medicare Advantage plans can combine Medicare Parts A, B, and D and include extra benefits to give you more than just Original Medicare.

Now, the question is how these Advantage plans work for overseas travel. Let's find out:

How Does Medicare Part C/Medicare Advantage Plan Work? Medicare Part C is provided by several private insurance companies with their own standards for premiums, sharing, costs, and benefits. It consists of all the benefits of Original Medicare, plus they can include any other benefits.

This includes dental care, gym memberships, and routine eye examination. Put simply, the benefits could be the same or more than the Original Medicare.

Does Medicare Offer Coverage If You Are Traveling Overseas? The Original Medicare does not cover any emergency care if you are traveling overseas. However, there are certain expectations.

For example, if you are in the US and you need urgent treatment, the nearest hospital where you can be treated is in another country. In such situations, Medicare can cover the expenses.

It's also applicable if you are traveling on a cruise ship in US territory, and the ship is 6 hours away from the port. Likewise, if you are traveling through Canada on a direct route to Alaska, Medicare will cover your treatment expenses if a Canadian hospital is nearer than the US one.

Does Medicare Advantage Plan Cover the US Overseas Treatment Expense? Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover additional medical services or routine checkups outside the US. So, it's best to research the Medicare Advantage plans and ask them about the benefits related to the same.

In several cases, there is a limit on how many overseas travel benefits you can get. You may also have to pay the required cost/expense in advance and get the reimbursement from the Advantage plan later.

Meanwhile, you should learn about some simple ways to stay healthy too. That will keep any of your overseas medical requirements at bay.

What's the Process to Get the Medicare Benefits, If You Are Traveling Overseas? If you want to access medical benefits while traveling overseas, then you might have to enroll for Original Medicare with supplement plans. This includes Plan C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N.

All these plans will cover most health care services (80%) that you may need while traveling. It will be applicable once you meet the plan deductible for overseas travel.

Note that these expenses should happen within the first 60 days of the trip. It also should not be covered by Original Medicare. Also, there is a limit of $50,000 on foreign travel care benefits.

Remember that the supplement plans are associated with Original Medicare. This means that if you want to access these plans with a Medicare Advantage plan, it wouldn't be possible.

If you want to know about the benefits and other details related to overseas travel, then take a quick look at the plan brochure.