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Deep divide in Congress over domestic food aid in massive farm bill

The Canadian PressMay 16, 2013 16:45
WASHINGTON - The House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it. The two chambers are far apart on how much the $80 billion-a-year program should be cut, however, reflecting a deep ideological and at times emotional divide on the role of government in helping the poor.

Retirement healthcare costs decline: Fidelity

May 15, 2013 20:31
By Mark Miller CHICAGO (Reuters) - Healthcare costs put a big squeeze on retiree pocketbooks, but the grip may be relaxing a bit. A 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need $220,000 to pay for healthcare for the rest of their lives, an amount that is eight percent less than a year ago, according to a Fidelity Investments report issued Wednesday. Fidelity has been forecasting the cost of healthcare in retirement since 2002, and has forecast lower lifetime costs only once before - an eight percent drop in 2011.

House panel set to OK cut in food stamps as conservatives demand that the program be trimmed

The Canadian PressMay 15, 2013 19:30
WASHINGTON - A House committee rebuffed Democratic efforts Wednesday to keep the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program whole, as debate on the farm bill turned into a theological discourse on helping the poor. The House bill would cut about $2.5 billion a year — or a little more than 3 per cent — from the food stamp program, which is used by 1 in 7 Americans. The committee rejected an amendment by Democrats to strike the cuts 27-17, keeping them in the bill.

White House, Republicans spar anew over 'Obamacare'

May 11, 2013 20:15
By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House announced a new $150 million initiative on Thursday to get uninsured Americans covered under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, as Republicans raised the volume on their calls for "Obamacare" to be repealed. The enrollment program will funnel money to about 1,200 community health centers to hire and train thousands of workers who will help people obtain coverage through new subsidized online marketplaces and an expanded Medicaid program for the poor.

Why does one hospital charge 40 times more than another? New data underscore cost mysteries

The Canadian PressMay 8, 2013 17:00
WASHINGTON - For the first time, the government is publicly revealing how much hospitals charge, and the differences are astounding: Some bill tens of thousands of dollars more than others for the same treatment, even within the same city. Why does a joint replacement cost 40 times as much at one hospital as at another across the country? It's a mystery, federal health officials say. "It doesn't make sense," Jonathan Blum, Medicare deputy administrator, said Wednesday. The higher charges don't reflect better care, he said.

Obamacare is on the horizon, but will enough people sign up?

May 8, 2013 12:39
By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Healthcare reform should be the signature Democratic achievement of President Barack Obama's presidency. But with "Obamacare" five months from show time, Democrats are worried about whether enough Americans will sign up to make the sweeping healthcare overhaul a success - and what failure might mean for Congress heading into the 2016 presidential race.

After flight delays, will cancer move Congress to act?

May 7, 2013 11:45
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Congress sifts through a growing number of requests for targeted relief from automatic spending cuts in coming weeks, advocates seeking funding shifts likely will need to tell a compelling story with potential life-or-death consequences.

Ontario budget lets welfare recipients keep more of their own money

The Canadian PressMay 2, 2013 16:32
TORONTO - Ontario residents receiving social assistance will get to keep more of their own money without losing benefits starting this fall, the result of several "fundamental" changes meant to reduce job barriers and improve fairness, Finance Minister Charles Sousa said in releasing his budget. Reforms to the province's welfare and disability programs will allow people who work while getting support to keep the first $200 of their monthly wages before their benefits are docked, and let them hold on to more cash and assets without cutting them off.

Obama administration simplifies health insurance application; income details still required

The Canadian PressApril 30, 2013 05:00
WASHINGTON - After a storm of complaints, the Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled simplified forms to apply for insurance under the president's new health care law. You won't have to lay bare your medical history but you will have to detail your finances. An earlier version of the forms had provoked widespread griping that they were as bad as tax forms and might overwhelm uninsured people, causing them to give up in frustration.
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