Healthjournalism.org: What the new tax bill may mean for older adults (12/22/2017) The newly passed Republican tax bill negatively impacts low income older adults. The new law jeopardizes Medicare, Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate may lead to higher healthcare premiums for seniors as younger people drop their healthcare coverage. It also adds $1.5 trillion to the national debt, which Justice in Aging’s Jennifer Goldberg says, is “the biggest danger. An increase in the national debt will be the trigger for Congress to start cutting entitlement programs like Medicare. It’s important to understand the threats older adults face, not only now, but for at least the next decade.”