Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once observed that “a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” The notion that states are “laboratories of democracy” is exemplified by Wisconsin’s 1911 experiment with a workers’ compensation law […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (a mouthful popularly known as CMS) is the federal agency that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Older adults primarily interact with CMS when they enroll in Medicare or need to resolve a Medicare billing dispute. Like nearly all federal agencies, […]
While retirement communities and independent living facilities are popular choices for older adults who want to downsize or can no longer manage the upkeep of their family home, surveys confirm that most Americans hope to age in place. Unfortunately, barriers to remaining in a home after children move out can make it difficult for seniors […]
The last White House Conference on Aging was held in 2015. It commemorated the 80th anniversary of Social Security and the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act. Those landmark laws have improved the lives of countless older Americans. At the time the Conference was held, the Older Americans Act (OAA) was […]
Updated May 2025 To avoid late enrollment penalties, seniors who are eligible for Medicare usually sign up at their earliest opportunity. Seniors rarely have a reason not to enroll. Retirees earned Medicare’s hospitalization benefits by paying FICA taxes during their working lives. They are not required to pay a monthly premium to receive those benefits. […]