Heritage: Stop subsidies for 'multimillionaire seniors' to shore up Medicare program

A report by the conservative Heritage Foundation recommends making wealthier Medicare beneficiaries pay more to help get the program's "fiscal house in order." Also in the news, The Wall Street Journal reports that a judge who considers cases related to the Social Security Disability Insurance Program -- one of the federal governments most rapidly growing entitlement programs -- was placed on paid leave while complaints about his demeanor are probed. 

National Journal: Conservatives Want Multimillionaire Seniors Off Medicare Handouts
Multimillionaire seniors are getting too much in government subsidies for their Medicare coverage, according to a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation. J.D. Foster, a senior economics fellow at Heritage, says making wealthier seniors pay more in Medicare premiums is just the reform the program needs to get its fiscal house in order. Using the Medicare Trustee's report, Foster calculated that taxpayers spend an extra $4,897 per Medicare beneficiary above what is collected in Medicare-specific taxes and premiums. Eliminating that subsidy, Foster says, "and Medicare's shortfall disappears now and forever" (McCarthy, 5/14).

The Wall Street Journal: Another Disability Judge Placed On Leave
The judges have wide discretion in how to decide cases, with Mr. Krafsur awarding benefits in virtually every case that crosses his desk. In the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, Mr. Krafsur awarded benefits in 338 of the 339 decisions he has reached. … The Social Security Disability Insurance program is one of the government's most rapidly growing entitlement programs, and it is projected to pay more than $130 billion in benefits to close to 11 million people in 2012. Those collecting benefits receive monthly payments from the government, and they also qualify for early Medicare benefits (Paletta, 5/14).