Now that the official Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and Medicare Part B premiums have been announced for 2012, we can tote up the numbers to see how seniors will fare. All in all, the news is pretty good – a 3.6 percent COLA coupled with a much smaller-than-expected increase in the premium for Part [...] [read full article…]
Every year around this time, I remind seniors that it’s important to re-shop Medicare prescription drug and managed care programs during the enrollment season, when seniors can change their Medicare coverage. This year, it’s important to get started on that process earlier than usual—because the enrollment period is earlier this year. The 2010 health reform [...] [read full article…]
The nation’s biggest Medicare prescription drug plan is boosting premiums an average 14% next year. But the third-largest plan will cut premiums about 9%. And premium changes for the top 10 drug plans will be all over the map, according to an analysis by consulting and research firm Avalere Health. The widely divergent price moves [...] [read full article…]
Should affluent seniors pay more for Medicare than everyone else? How about Social Security? Should we cut benefits for wealthy Americans? Ideas for “means testing” these critical retirement programs are front and center as deficit reduction talks move back into high gear in Washington. Many Republicans are arguing that Social Security benefits should be cut [...] [read full article…]
Social Security and Medicare are the two most important pillars holding up the rickety roof of retirement security in this country. Both are under siege on the presidential campaign trail; As a retirement columnist deeply concerned about the future of both programs, I need to stay on top of what the politicians are saying, so I [...] [read full article…]
