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POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS

In Case You Missed It…

| By CBPP

This week at CBPP, we focused on health care, the federal budget and taxes, the safety net, Social Security, and housing.

  • On health care, we presented Robert Greenstein’s statement on the King v. Burwell Supreme Court ruling.  Judith Solomon highlighted the ruling’s importance.  Matt Broaddus pointed to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that show historic coverage gains under health reform’s coverage expansions.  Jesse Cross-Call encouraged the 21 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid under health reform to do so.  Edwin Park noted that the House 2016 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill would raise Medicare and Medicaid costs and stifle health care innovation.  Paul Van de Water advised against repealing the Independent Patient Advisory Board.  And, as part of our Medicaid at 50 series, Jessica Schubel explained how more states are using Medicaid flexibility to adopt innovative strategies that cut costs while improving beneficiaries’ health.
  • On the federal budget and taxes, Chye-Ching Huang explained why a repatriation tax holiday would lose revenue so can’t help pay for infrastructure.  LaDonna Pavetti reminded policymakers that marginal tax rates for low- and moderate-income families are often overstated and tough to lower.  We also updated our chart book on the legacy of the Great Recession.
  • On the safety net, we excerpted Zoë Neuberger’s post for MomsRising that lists WIC’s long-term payoffs.  Ife Floyd detailed how states have weakened the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program as a safety net for families in poverty.  Erica Williams praised California’s decision to become the 26th state to enact a state Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • On Social Security, Kathleen Romig explained that Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are modest and described how budget cuts have affected the service the Social Security Administration provides.  She also noted that, due to the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, all married couples may receive Social Security spousal and survivor benefits.
  • On housing, Barbara Sard explained how the Housing Choice Voucher program can help more families move to better neighborhoods.

Graphic of the Week – Status of State Medicaid Expansion  

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP's work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:

Is the cost of college worth the price?
CNBC
June 25, 2015

Insurance Subsidies Remain, but So Do Health Law Questions  
New York Times
June 25, 2015

To measure poverty, states look beyond free lunch
Marketplace
June 23, 2015

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