Fifty Plus Advocates

It’s a new year and a new/old administration and Congress. If only the old could disappear and we could start with a clean slate. The trouble is the same old problem — gridlock — could actually be worse.

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The administration’s plan involves accountable care organizations, which are networks of hospitals, doctors, rehabilitation centers and other providers. They would work together to cut out duplicative tests and procedures, prevent medical errors, and focus on keeping patients healthier and out of the emergency room.

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Speaking at a news conference a day after releasing his 2012 budget — a $3.73 trillion spending plan — Obama said the politically explosive changes in those programs cannot be solved through dictates from the White House. The White House budget proposal does not address reforms to the Social Security pension system, Medicare medical insurance for the elderly or the Medicare program for poor people. Social Security and Medicare are the two largest items in the U.S. budget.

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Social Security, Medicare and virtually every other federal program would face the budget ax under legislation unveiled Tuesday aimed at forcing Congress to dramatically cut spending over the coming decade.

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Workers with a 401(k) retirement account will soon know exactly how much they’re paying in fees.

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The Obama administration rolled out an ambitious five-year plan for moving doctors and hospitals to computerized medical records, promising greater safety for patients and lower costs.

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