Medicaid currently pays for most of the long-term services and supports (LTSS) given to older Americans. With the aging of the population, these costs to state and federal governments will increase rapidly. We summarize the current Medicaid eligibility rules, which are commonly portrayed as...

This paper focuses on the use of reverse mortgages or home equity conversion mortgages (HECMs) to enhance retirement security. If present trends continue, many American households working today will face a significant retirement funding gap, and this study asks whether reverse mortgages can be...

Since the demise of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) insurance program in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) covering long-term care and since the majority report of the 2013 Commission on Long-Term Care, which did not endorse a new social insurance...

Health insurance for a high-paid employee costs an employer the same amount as health insurance for a low-paid employee. At the same time, healthcare costs, and therefore health insurance premiums, are growing much more rapidly than earnings. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that while...

In this study we update and deepen Mark Warshawsky s prior examination of the administrative law judge system for the Social Security disability program. We add reviews of recent comprehensive reports from academic and government sources and undertake our own analysis of judicial decisions over...

The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, designed to assist individuals unable to work because of permanent disability, has grown substantially over the past 10 years. We document this growth, adjusting for the changing demographics of the US population, and find that the program...

Laddered immediate life annuity purchase and asset withdrawal combination strategies represent an excellent way for retirees to manage their retirement assets in order to get lifetime income in a flexible manner while still maintaining growth, liquidity, and bequest potentials. Simulations show...

As the baby boom generation begins to retire, more and more workers will have accumulated considerable assets in 401(k) plans and IRAs that have no particular method of payout. This paper examines the two basic, opposing methods that have been proposed as solutions to this problem. The first is...

The design solution for retirement income strategies from individual accounts is the next major challenge to the evolving retirement system in the United States. In response, the Department of Labor has put forward a proposal to require sponsors of defined contribution plans to provide their...