Social Security & Medicare
Benefit changes, claiming strategies, eligibility rules, Medicare enrollment, Part D updates, and policy changes affecting retirees.
Latest in Social Security & Medicare
The government is raising Medicare Advantage payments 2.48% for 2027, yet insurers keep cutting plans
Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans are facing a paradox heading into 2027: the federal government will pay insurers more per beneficiary, yet the number...
Medicare’s $1,676 hospital deductible can hit you more than once in a single year
Medicare beneficiaries who need more than one hospital stay in a single year can face the full $1,676 inpatient deductible each time, a billing structure...
Social Security mishandled 75% of the fraud-penalty cases a watchdog reviewed, a new audit finds
Three out of every four fraud-penalty cases reviewed by a federal watchdog contained errors, a finding that points to nearly $50 million in improper payments...
Who pays just $5.10 for a generic prescription on Medicare? Seniors who qualify for Extra Help
Seniors with limited income who fill a generic prescription through Medicare Part D can pay as little as $5.10 per drug in 2026 if they...
$209.50 a month is Medicare’s projected Part B premium for 2027
Medicare beneficiaries planning their 2027 budgets now have a concrete number to work with. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, released June 9, 2026, projects the...
Original Medicare pays 80% of your doctor bills with no yearly cap, the gap a Medigap plan fills
Millions of Americans on Original Medicare face a cost-sharing split that leaves them responsible for 20 percent of every approved doctor bill, with no annual...
After 65 you can spend HSA money on anything with no penalty, taxed like an IRA withdrawal
Americans with health savings accounts who reach age 65 gain a little-known tax advantage: they can withdraw HSA funds for any purpose, not just medical...
A surviving spouse can claim Social Security as early as 60, or 50 if disabled
Hundreds of thousands of Americans lose a spouse each year, and for many the financial shock arrives long before retirement age. Federal rules allow a...
Social Security’s 2027 raise estimate just slipped to 3.8%, about $77 more a month
Retirees counting on a bigger bump in their Social Security checks next year just lost ground. The estimated 2027 cost-of-living adjustment has slipped to roughly...
Aetna is closing about 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states for 2027
Seniors enrolled in certain Aetna Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states face the loss of their coverage for 2027, as the insurer moves to discontinue...
Retirees can have tax withheld straight from a Social Security check to avoid an April surprise
Millions of retirees collect Social Security benefits each month without a single dollar withheld for federal income tax. Because benefits arrive untouched, many face a...
A retiree’s minor kids can collect Social Security too, up to half the benefit
Older Americans who still have school-age children at home can claim Social Security benefits for those kids, with each child entitled to as much as...
Give away money within five years of a Medicaid nursing-home application and you face a penalty
Families who gift money, transfer a home, or move assets to relatives before seeking Medicaid coverage for nursing-home care face a penalty that can delay...
Original Medicare now demands prior approval for knee scopes and back shots in six states
Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program now face a new requirement before receiving certain knee and spine procedures. The Centers for Medicare and...
Locking your online Social Security account takes two minutes and blocks thieves from rerouting your check
Social Security beneficiaries who have not claimed their online accounts are leaving the door open for identity thieves to do it for them, redirect monthly...
Pause Social Security between 67 and 70 and your check grows 8% a year
Americans born in 1960 or later face a full retirement age of 67, but those who hold off on collecting Social Security until 70 can...
After you die, Medicaid can bill your estate for nursing-home care, though your home may be shielded
Families who relied on Medicaid to cover a parent’s or spouse’s nursing-home stay often discover, only after the recipient dies, that the state can pursue...
You can undo a Social Security claim within 12 months by repaying what you got
Retirees who filed for Social Security benefits too early have a narrow path to reverse that decision, but the price is steep: full repayment of...
Money Social Security holds back while you work before full retirement age comes back later
Workers who collect Social Security before full retirement age and keep earning above federal limits will see checks withheld, but the Social Security Administration does...
High earners now owe Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500, an $8,400 jump
Workers earning above $176,100 will see a bigger bite taken from their paychecks starting in January 2026. The Social Security Administration has raised the taxable...