The Challenges Facing Federal Fiscal Lifelines

Recent policy changes have affected some of the more vulnerable people in the United States, including those who rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, people who are retired or disabled and get by month-to-month with their Social Security benefits, and workers whose income includes tips or overtime pay. What are the effects of Medicaid and Social Security on people’s economic security and well-being and what is the long-run prospect for these programs? Who benefits from tax breaks on tips and overtime and what are the fiscal costs? This week’s EconoFact Chats episode is an abridged version of a webinar, co-hosted with The Journalist’s Resource, that featured Gopi Shah Goda of the Brookings Institution, Mark Shepard of the Harvard Kennedy School, and Bill Gentry of Williams College.