Social Security & Medicare
Benefit changes, claiming strategies, eligibility rules, Medicare enrollment, Part D updates, and policy changes affecting retirees.
Latest in Social Security & Medicare
Some retired public workers are still owed back Social Security 18 months on
Roughly 18 months after Congress repealed two provisions that had reduced Social Security checks for millions of retired teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public-sector...
The 2027 Social Security raise could reach 4.7%, one analyst now projects, among the biggest increases in decades
Tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries could see their monthly checks jump by a far larger margin in 2027 than the 2.8 percent increase...
Up to 5 million seniors could lose a Medicare Advantage plan in 2027, nearly double the 2.6 million dropped this year
Up to 5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees face the loss of their current health plans in 2027, nearly doubling the 2.6 million beneficiaries affected by...
Medicare’s Part B premium is projected to reach about $209.50 a month in 2027, up from $202.90 now
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries face another bump in their monthly health insurance bill. The standard Part B premium, which covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and...
A PACE program blends Medicare and Medicaid to keep frail seniors at home instead of a nursing facility, often at no cost
Frail seniors who qualify for nursing home admission face a stark choice: enter a facility or find a way to stay home with adequate medical...
Full retirement age finishes its 42-year climb to 67 this November, locking a roughly 30% lifetime cut for anyone born in 1960 who claimed at 62
Americans born in 1960 face a permanent 30 percent reduction in their monthly Social Security checks if they claimed benefits at 62, a penalty now...
Worked two jobs and earned over $184,500 last year? The extra Social Security tax withheld comes straight back as a credit
Anyone who held two W-2 jobs in 2026 and earned more than $184,500 in combined wages almost certainly had too much Social Security tax pulled...
Moving or losing job coverage opens a special Medicare sign-up window
People who lose employer-sponsored health coverage or relocate outside the boundaries of their current Medicare Advantage plan face a strict but often overlooked deadline: an...
Spending excess income on medical bills can qualify you for Medicaid in many states, a path called a spend-down
People with disabilities and older adults whose earnings sit just above Medicaid income limits face a painful choice: earn less or go without coverage. A...
Part A hospital coverage is premium-free after you pay Medicare taxes 10 years
Americans turning 65 face a straightforward but high-stakes eligibility test: those who paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, accumulating 40 quarters of coverage,...
Still working before full retirement age in 2026? Social Security holds back $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480
Workers collecting Social Security before they reach full retirement age in 2026 face a direct hit to their monthly checks if their earnings cross a...
Some Medicare Advantage plans pay part of your Part B premium back, putting $50 or more in your monthly check
Certain Medicare Advantage plans are returning a portion of the standard Part B premium directly to enrollees, effectively adding money back into monthly Social Security...
You can claim up to six months of Social Security in one lump sum if you file after full retirement age
Workers who file for Social Security after reaching full retirement age can collect up to six months of benefits in a single retroactive payment, a...
Shingles, RSV and other vaccines now cost Medicare drug-plan members nothing
Millions of people enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans now pay nothing out of pocket for shingles shots, RSV vaccines, and other adult immunizations recommended...
A new Senate bill would bar Social Security from clawing back overpayments it caused more than 10 years earlier
Millions of Social Security beneficiaries who have been told they owe the government money for overpayments made a decade or more ago could get permanent...
Keep working and Social Security recomputes your benefit each year a higher-earning year replaces an old low one
Retirees who stay on the job can receive higher Social Security checks without filing a single new claim. Federal law requires the Social Security Administration...
Check your Social Security earnings record every year, because a payroll mistake can quietly shrink your future check
A single payroll error, left unchecked for a few years, can permanently reduce a worker’s monthly Social Security payment. The Social Security Administration calculates retirement...
Reach full retirement age and you can suspend Social Security to grow each future check 8% a year, up to age 70
Americans who have already filed for Social Security retirement benefits but no longer need the monthly check can hit pause and watch their future payments...
$1,558 a month, tax-free, can go to a wartime veteran’s surviving spouse who needs care
A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran who needs help with basic daily tasks can receive up to $1,558 a month from the Department of...
Every state offers free SHIP counseling to help you choose Medicare coverage
Medicare beneficiaries across the country can access free, one-on-one counseling to sort through their coverage options, thanks to a federally funded network that operates in...