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Congressional Research Service Reports
Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Premiums: Fact Sheet
Date: January 13, 2004
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Description: Financing for social security -- Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance -- and the Hospital Insurance part of Medicare is provided primarily by taxes levied on wages and net self-employment income. Financing for the Supplementary Medical Insurance portion of Medicare is provided by premiums from enrollees and payments from the government. This report describes these taxes and premiums.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26042/
Brief Facts and Statistics
Date: January 26, 2006
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Description: This report provides facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program's impact on its recipients' incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, administrative information, and selected facts about Medicare.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26041/
The Tax Exclusion for Employer-Provided Health Insurance: Policy Issues Regarding the Repeal Debate
Date: November 21, 2008
Creator: Lyke, Bob
Description: Employer-provided health insurance is excluded from the determination of employees' federal income taxes, resulting in significant tax savings for many workers. The federal income tax exclusion -- the focus of this report -- is criticized for several reasons. These arguments about the exclusion merit careful consideration as Congress is starting to debate broad health care reform for the first time in 15 years. This report discusses this issue at length, including advantages and disadvantages to keeping the income tax inclusion as Congress undergoes the health policy reform process.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26302/
Medicaid Regulatory Issues
Date: November 26, 2008
Creator: Herz, Elicia J.
Description: This report provides a summary of seven proposed and final rules affecting the Medicaid program that were issued by the Bush Administration during 2007 and 2008. Six of the seven rules are currently under a congressional moratorium on further administrative action until April 1, 2009. A description of possible administrative and legislative actions to modify these rules, which could be taken by the next administration or the 111th Congress, is also provided.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26301/
Employment-Based Health Coverage and Health Reform: Selected Legal Considerations
Date: June 12, 2009
Creator: Staman, Jennifer
Description: It is estimated that nearly 170 million individuals have employer-based health coverage. As part of a comprehensive health care reform effort, there has been support (including from the Obama Administration) in enacting comprehensive health insurance reform that retains the employer-based system. This report presents selected legal considerations inherent in amending two of the primary federal laws governing employer-sponsored health care: the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26164/
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview
Date: June 12, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A.
Description: This report first provides a synopsis of key events, actions taken, and authorities invoked by WHO, the U.S. federal government, and state and local governments. It then discusses the WHO process to determine the phase of a flu pandemic, and selected actions taken by the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, and by state and local authorities. Next, it lists congressional hearings held to date, and provides information about appropriations and funding for pandemic flu activities. Finally, it summarizes U.S. government pandemic flu planning documents and lists sources for additional information about the situation as it unfolds.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26151/
The False Claims Act, the Allison Engine Decision, and Possible Effects on Health Care Fraud Enforcement
Date: November 6, 2008
Creator: Staman, Jennifer
Description: The False Claims Act (FCA), an important tool for combating fraud against the U.S. government, generally provides that a person who knowingly submits, or causes to be submitted, a false or fraudulent claim for payment to the U.S. government may be subject to civil penalties and damages. This report provides an overview of the FCA and the Allison Engine decision, analyzes how this decision could affect certain FCA health care claims, and discusses the proposed False Claims Correction Acts (S. 2041 and H.R. 4854), which, if enacted, could limit the application of the Allison Engine decision.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10818/
Global Health: Appropriations to USAID Programs from FY2001 through FY2008
Date: July 8, 2008
Creator: Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Description: This report details the funds Congress appropriated from FY2001 through FY2008 to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for global health programs. The report includes which key programs said appropriations supported and also discusses the role of other U.S. agencies and departments in this context, including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10767/
Government Spending on Health Care Benefits and Programs: A Data Brief
Date: June 16, 2008
Creator: Jenson, Jennifer
Description: In a country where health spending accounts for more than 16% of gross domestic product (GDP), health care costs and spending are often described as a problem for consumers and their families; for employers that provide (or seek to provide) health benefits; and for government, which finances a mix of health care services, health research and training, and health safety programs. To describe government spending on health care benefits and programs, this report presents data from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10758/
Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastics and Possible Human Health Effects
Date: June 30, 2008
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo
Description: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to produce certain types of plastic. Containers made of these plastics may expose people to small amounts of BPA in food and water. Some animal experiments have found that fetal and infant development may be harmed by small amounts of BPA, but scientists disagree about the value of the animal studies for predicting harmful effects in people. This report discusses this issue and relevant legislation, as well as inquiries into studies currently underway to determine the true harm inherent in BPA and the degree to which people are regularly exposed to BPA.
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Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10734/