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 former head of Social Security says raising the payroll cap is the only real fix
Workers earning above $176,100 a year pay no Social Security tax on income beyond that threshold, and a former head of the agency told Congress...
Medicare caps your out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,100 this year, and you can spread that bill across monthly payments
People enrolled in Medicare Part D will pay no more than $2,100 out of pocket for prescription drugs in 2026, up from the $2,000 cap...
Insurers warn Medicare Advantage plans could cut benefits or fold in 2027 after the government raised their pay just 0.9%
Millions of Medicare Advantage enrollees face the prospect of losing supplemental benefits or watching their plans exit certain markets after the Centers for Medicare and...
Next year’s Social Security raise is tracking near 3.8%, about $77 more a month for the average retiree
Roughly 73 million Americans who depend on Social Security checks could see about $77 more per month starting in January 2027 if current inflation trends...
You have 12 months to undo a Social Security claim — repay what you collected and reset for a bigger check later
Retirees who claimed Social Security benefits too early and now regret the decision have a narrow escape hatch: the agency allows a one-time withdrawal of...
Medicare covers a yearly wellness visit and most cancer screenings at $0
Millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare Part B can receive a yearly wellness visit and most cancer screenings without paying a copay or meeting a...
Divorced after a 10-year marriage? You can claim up to half your ex’s Social Security, and it never touches their check
Millions of Americans who ended long marriages walk away unaware that federal law entitles them to collect retirement benefits based on a former spouse’s earnings...
Social Security can now withhold half your monthly check to claw back an overpayment — but a waiver with no deadline can erase it
Millions of Social Security recipients who owe money back to the federal government now face losing half their monthly benefit check to automatic withholding, a...
Medicare Advantage plans must mail you a list of unused benefits between June 30 and July 31 — and most members toss it
More than 30 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans were set to receive a new piece of mail this summer: a personalized list of...
Claim Social Security at 62 and your check is about 30% smaller for life
Americans born in 1960 or later who start collecting Social Security at 62 lock in a monthly benefit that is 30 percent smaller than what...
Medicare Savings Programs can cover your entire monthly Part B premium if your income qualifies
Millions of Americans on Medicare lose hundreds of dollars each month to Part B premiums even though a federal program exists to eliminate that cost...
The typical retiree’s 2026 raise shrank to about $35 a month — the Medicare premium ate the rest
Most of the 66 million Americans who collect Social Security will see their January 2026 checks grow by about $57 a month, the result of...
Anyone born in 1960 reaches Social Security’s full retirement age of 67 this November
Americans born in November 1960 will turn 67 this fall, completing a four-decade phase-in of a higher retirement threshold set by Congress in 1983. For...
Extra Help can wipe out most Part D drug costs for lower-income seniors, yet many never apply
Millions of lower-income Medicare beneficiaries qualify for a federal program that can eliminate most of their prescription drug costs, yet they have never filed an...
$615 is Medicare’s new Part D drug deductible for 2026, up from $590
Medicare beneficiaries filling prescriptions in 2026 will face a higher upfront cost before their drug coverage kicks in. The standard Part D deductible rises to...
Social Security’s taxable wage cap rose to $184,500 for higher earners this year
Higher-earning workers in the United States will see a larger slice of their paychecks subject to Social Security payroll taxes starting this year. The taxable...
High earners pay a bonus Medicare surcharge based on income two years back
Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes are paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more per year in Part B and Part D premiums, and the...
Social Security will now waive an overpayment of $2,000 or less without a drawn-out fight
Millions of Social Security beneficiaries who receive overpayment notices for small amounts will no longer need to file formal paperwork or prove financial hardship to...
A one-time six-month window after you turn 65 lets you buy any Medigap plan without health questions
People turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare Part B get exactly one chance to buy a Medigap supplemental insurance plan on their own terms. Federal...
8% a year is what your Social Security check grows for every year you wait past 67
Americans born in 1960 or later who reach full retirement age at 67 face a straightforward but high-stakes math problem: every year they delay collecting...