Social Security & Medicare
Benefit changes, claiming strategies, eligibility rules, Medicare enrollment, Part D updates, and policy changes affecting retirees.
Latest in Social Security & Medicare
One form after you retire can erase a Medicare surcharge of up to $443 a month
Retirees who earned high salaries before leaving the workforce can face Medicare premium surcharges exceeding $400 a month, based on income the Social Security Administration...
A spouse who never worked can still claim half the higher earner’s Social Security
A person who spent decades raising children or managing a household instead of earning a paycheck can still collect a monthly Social Security check equal...
Claiming Social Security at 62 instead of 67 locks in a check about 30% smaller for life
Workers born in 1960 or later who file for Social Security at 62 rather than waiting until their full retirement age of 67 lock in...
Teachers, firefighters and police are getting full Social Security checks after a repealed penalty
More than 3.1 million public workers, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers, have received catch-up Social Security payments totaling $17 billion after a decades-old penalty...
5 million seniors could lose their Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 as insurers exit
Millions of Medicare Advantage enrollees face the real possibility of losing their current health plan before 2027 coverage begins. Insurers are pulling back from counties...
4.7% could be Social Security’s 2027 raise, a new estimate says
Roughly 73 million Americans who depend on Social Security checks could see their monthly payments jump by 4.7 percent in January 2028 if a new...
$35 a month is Medicare’s insulin cap, and your drug deductible never applies to it
Medicare beneficiaries who rely on insulin now pay no more than $35 for a one-month supply of each covered insulin product, and the drug deductible...
$689.90 a month is the most high earners pay for Medicare Part B in 2026, over triple the standard
High-income Medicare enrollees will pay up to $689.90 per month for Part B coverage in 2026, more than triple the $202.90 standard premium that applies...
Five years is how long Social Security now gives you to repay an overpayment, up from three
Social Security beneficiaries who owe money back to the agency now have five years to repay an overpayment before they face additional paperwork, up from...
Medicare covers a yearly wellness visit and many preventive screenings at no cost
Medicare Part B enrollees can schedule a yearly wellness visit and pay nothing out of pocket, as long as their provider accepts assignment. The benefit,...
Medicare Advantage members get a January-to-March window to switch or return to original Medicare
Medicare Advantage enrollees across the country face a yearly decision window between January 1 and March 31 that allows them to change plans or drop...
$283 is Medicare’s 2026 Part B deductible, $26 more than last year
Medicare beneficiaries face a $283 annual Part B deductible in 2026, a $26 jump from the $257 they paid in 2025. The Centers for Medicare...
$2,100 now caps what Medicare drug plans can charge you out of pocket in 2026
Medicare beneficiaries who take costly prescription drugs will face a hard ceiling on what they pay each year starting in 2026. The Centers for Medicare...
600,000 UnitedHealthcare members will lose their Medicare Advantage plan for 2027
Roughly 600,000 people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans face the loss of their coverage heading into 2027, forcing them to find new plans during...
Social Security benefit debit cards are switching from Comerica to Fifth Third Bank
People who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or other federal benefits on a Direct Express debit card are facing a bank switch they did...
Newborns the rest of 2026 get a commemorative Social Security card for America’s 250th year
Every baby born in the United States between July 2 and December 31, 2026, will receive a limited-edition Social Security card stamped with the official...
You get 8 months to sign up for Medicare Part B after job coverage ends
Workers who stay on an employer health plan past age 65 face a strict federal deadline once that coverage ends: eight months to enroll in...
Social Security will waive an overpayment of $2,000 or less without a drawn-out fight
Beneficiaries who owe the Social Security Administration $2,000 or less in overpayments can have that debt wiped clean without enduring the full waiver review process,...
Medicare’s fall enrollment runs October 15 to December 7
Medicare beneficiaries face a hard deadline each year: any changes to health or prescription drug coverage must be locked in between October 15 and December...
Medicare covers Wegovy and Zepbound at $50, and BMI over 35 can qualify you
Medicare beneficiaries with a body mass index of 35 or higher can now fill prescriptions for Wegovy and Zepbound at a flat $50 monthly copay,...