US Policy Pulse

The $40 trillion milestone signals bipartisan fiscal failure more than raw size.

• Both parties drove the surge through automatic spending hikes on...

The government is escalating efforts to cut improper payments through new legislation, rules, and audits across benefits and tax programs.

• State...

Hospitals are rapidly cutting Medicare Advantage contracts, leaving seniors facing network disruptions and limited time to switch plans.

• Virginia...

Many seniors accept higher Medigap premiums for greater financial predictability and provider flexibility, even when Medicare Advantage plans...

Roughly three million beneficiaries face forced plan changes as insurers exit counties citing inadequate CMS rates.

• Network disruptions hit locally,...

Raising payroll taxes to close Social Security's gap would trim take-home pay that funds 401(k)s and IRAs.

• A $60,000 earner would lose $1,326...

OBBBA's SNAP changes force error-prone states like New York to cover more costs, shifting $168 million annually onto counties including Greene...

The U.S. national debt crossed $40 trillion, coinciding with a Treasury bond selloff and CBO deficit projections rising to $2.1 trillion.

• Interest...

Bipartisan demand for Social Security fixes is clear: 80% of adults want reform before the 2032 funding cliff triggers 20% benefit cuts.

• Top fix:...

Seniors face mounting Medicare pressures on two fronts.

• The 2027 Part D base premium is locked at $41.33 monthly—the maximum 6% annual increase...

Can Missouri fix its Medicaid processing before work requirements begin Jan. 1, 2027—or will eligible people lose coverage again?

• More than 300,000...

Wisconsin's One Big Beautiful Bill Act imposes new Medicaid work requirements alongside tighter FoodShare quality-control rules, yet both flow through...

The Trump administration will not renew Arkansas's key Medicaid waiver, putting coverage for 200,000 low-income residents at risk next year.

• New...

• Aging at home preference: Almost all older adults want to live at home with community services, yet many lack financial resources or access.
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Georgia officials warn they may shut down Gov. Brian Kemp's Pathways Medicaid program covering 18,500 low-income residents unless the feds raise their...

• Fiscal credibility risk: Expanded buybacks timed after 30-year yields hit 2007 highs fuel perceptions of yield management, weighing on the dollar.
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Federal agencies disbursed $186 billion in improper payments in FY2025, bringing the cumulative total to roughly $3 trillion since 2003. The Payment...

Pennsylvania will impose Medicaid work requirements on many adults beginning January 2027.

• Some 19-64 year olds must report 80 hours of work,...

Wisconsin's Medicaid work rule leaves homelessness unaddressed as a formal exemption, though it can severely complicate compliance and...

• Surprise intervention: Treasury doubled liquidity buybacks to at least $4 billion per operation for 10-30 year bonds starting Sept. 9, after 30-year...