Social Security benefits are going up by 2.8% next year but Medicare premiums expected to increase.

[milestogo]

So even though those of us who have medicare are in better shape than people on the ACA- it still sucks.

[Srkdqltr]

1. They always do.

[Jersey Devil]

2. Medicare Part B going from $185 to $206.50 (nt)

x

[Timewas]

13. same old same old

2.8% raise in SS and 8+% raise in medicare part B...

[SheltieLover]

3. Of course. Along with utilities & internet.

[republianmushroom]

4. Just shuffling money from one hand to another.

[anciano]

5. The US needs a universal healthcare system

that is standardized and affordable with a cap on out of pocket expenses.

[dwayneb]

7. You are a dreamer

It will never happen because the system is designed to drain you dry during your "golden years"

[leftstreet]

8. +1

[TexLaProgressive]

9. A zero out of packet

[gulliver]

17. Agree, but I think it needs to be more like a universal health system

We need health itself to be supported at the national level. The definition of "health care" needs to be expanded to include not just remediation of bad health but the promotion of good health. I don't personally take a lot of comfort in there being a single payer that feeds a stream of income to Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and the medical and psychological guilds. I'd like the single payer to incentivize and support good nutrition, exercise, and the reduction of bad habits. Don't feed the illness monster.

[dwayneb]

6. Does nothing to offset drug costs under Part D

Which is where people on Medicare get royally screwed. No regulation or oversight they can price gouge at will.

[Ritabert]

10. Those rates always go up usually wiping out any COLA gains

[Silent Type]

11. Happens every year, long before trump.

[Traildogbob]

12. Wash Rinse Repeat.

Why I get sick every time I hear a politician say “The American People”. (Especially Moses Mike) We mean nothing to them except for taxes to line their pockets. We need hundreds of Bernie’s and AOC’s that actually give a damn about us.
America is Bought and Paid for, we can take down the For Sell signs now. Closing signatures were all done last January. No escrow, because we are totally uninsured and this regime pays no taxes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. At least SS goes up most years.

My pension doesn't. Does yours?

[Raftergirl]

15. My husband's NYS employee pension get COLA increase every year.

His retirement benefits also pay for our Medicare, supplemental and prescription drug plan premiums (which is exactly the same plan as we had when he was working.) Medicare premium that is taken out of our SS is reimbursed through his pension check since we both collect SS.

I am going to donate the amount of our yearly SS increase to local food bank. We don’t need it.

And in the mail today, we got our $400 tariff relief check from NYS. I will be donating that, too.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. I keep forgetting that public employees often have very sweet

pension deals.

Most company pensions are a fixed amount. Mine is.

So, lucky you, lucky all of you who have pensions that increase. Most don't. Which is why I'm grateful for any and every SS increase, no matter how small.

[Nictuku]

16. Mom had a PPO, but the PPO is no longer available (and there are no others in our area)

The person advising us says this is happening all over the country. Now she has to be on an HMO, and not all of her doctors are in network.

I wonder if this is happening to others? Fortunately we did find an HMO that had most of her doctors in network. This company Chapter gives free medicare advice (it is all so freaking complicated!, I don't know how elderly will be able to manage all this without some help)