In the 11^th hour, Republicans and Democrats found common ground, keeping the U.S. economy from tumbling over the fiscal cliff. That doesn’t mean, however, that everyone is happy about the outcome. Many consider the deal a losing battle, although, according to the Huffington Post, America’s elderly aren’t part of that contingency. They can be considered among the winners of the fiscal cliff deal, which also includes rich individuals, the unemployed and doctors.
“As recently as yesterday morning, it was taken for granted that one of the major provisions of an alternative to the fiscal cliff would be cuts in the federal retirement security programs that are the main long-term drivers of deficits,” the Huffington Post reported. “But ultimately Democrats cared more about avoiding spending cuts than securing tax revenues, and Republicans cared more about low taxes than cutting spending.
“Old people are the winners,” they declared.
In addition to the benefits that retirees will maintain from the recent deal, some Medicaid recipients will also look to future for improvements in health care. And this is especially true for those living in Illinois thanks to expansions available to the joint state-federal government health insurance program. These expansions are only available in states that opt-in for them, and Illinois is among 16 other states that to date have said yes to participation.
Opting-in means extended coverage to Illinois residents whose income falls below 133 percent of the federal poverty line, which equates to $14,893 a year for individuals. Although the expansion will greatly help those in need, there is still much to anticipate as 2013 unfolds.
To keep you abreast of the ever-changing health care landscape, stay tuned to the Freedom Home Care blog. We understand that staying informed is important, and we hope to give those in our community the resources they need to do so.