Retiring Louisiana senator proposes investing $1.5 trillion in separate fund to cover 60-65% of Social Security's unfunded liability over 65-70 years: Cassidy's plan would borrow $1.5 trillion held in escrow (not increasing national debt), invest in stock market on behalf of Social Security — modeled after federal Railroad Retirement system investment changes under President George W. Bush — designed to sidestep debate over raising taxes vs. cutting benefits — plan would need bipartisan support (requires 60 Senate votes), though Trump recently called Cassidy "disloyal disaster" on social media.

Boston College researchers warn plan "unlikely to work" without pairing with tax increases or benefit cuts — concerns about stock market risk and unpredictable returns: Analysis found plan would leave government in debt by 75th year requiring large interest payments — Bipartisan Policy Center raised concerns about market volatility and "significant risk" of leveraged investment strategies amid unsustainable national debt trajectory — Cassidy argues past market analysis shows investment premium exceeding borrowing costs, "all risk borne by fund; people get promised benefits."

Trust fund projected depleted late 2032 triggering automatic 22% benefit cuts (only 78% payable) — next steps include hearings and finding successors to "carry torch": Four senators (Cassidy, Durbin D-IL, Kaine D-VA, Tillis R-NC) issued joint statement: "Congress shouldn't delay any longer" — Cassidy leaving office Jan 3, 2027, urging action before deadline — if plan doesn't pass this Congress, seeking colleagues interested in advancing proposal in next Congress when beneficiaries will feel impact.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) paid Wednesday, July 1 — Social Security retirement benefits staggered by birth date: Nearly 74 million beneficiaries receiving payments — SSI always sent first of month (or early if weekend/holiday) — Social Security: July 8 (birthdates 1-10), July 15 (11-20), July 22 (21-31) — SSI sent early Friday, July 31 for August check since August 1 is Saturday — early payments also scheduled for November and New Year's Day.

People receiving both SSI and Social Security get triple payments in October and December: Dual beneficiaries receive regular SSI on first of month, standard Social Security on scheduled date, plus additional SSI near month-end because next disbursement falls on weekend/holiday — creates three separate payments in same month for budget planning — affects significant portion of beneficiaries receiving both programs.

Check 2026 SSA calendar online to plan budgets — payment schedule consistent throughout year: SSA publishes full payment schedules to help beneficiaries plan — can verify payment dates at ssa.gov or local Social Security office — tracking payment schedule important for fixed-income budgeting, especially with multiple payments in some months.

Biomechanical CT (BCT) added to Medicare Bone Mass Measurement benefit effective October 5, 2026 with retroactive coverage to January 1, 2024: New screening method measures bone strength AND bone mineral density (BMD) vs. DEXA scan relying on BMD alone — identifies more high-risk fracture patients than BMD testing alone — Kaiser Permanente study of 100,000+ patients showed BCT predicted hip fractures independently of BMD T-score with improved sensitivity compared to DEXA — over 70 peer-reviewed studies supporting effectiveness.

Best suited for patients with existing CT scans from other medical reasons — no additional imaging needed: Technology requires CT scan; most beneficial for older adults who already had CT for other reasons (cancer screening, spine imaging) — can analyze existing scans without need for separate appointment — experts see main value as "opportunistic screening" in patients with prior CT scans who haven't had previous BMD testing — not recommended for those already screened or needing multiple tests.

Standardization and access limitations remain — DEXA still first-line despite BCT advantages: BCT results vary by CT scanner brand, software, protocol making inter-machine comparison difficult vs. standardized DEXA — currently available only through O.N. Diagnostics — experts recommend DEXA first-line for most patients; BCT useful for women at risk from estrogen deficiency, steroid use, hyperparathyroidism, or monitoring existing osteoporosis treatment.