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The more you learn about the COLA, however, the more the anemic annual boosts of our past decade raise questions. The very first COLA ever paid was 77%. No, you read that right, this is not a typo. It became payable in 1950, one year before I was born, and a full ten years after Ida May Fuller received the nation's very first Social Security benefit check for .54 - the equivalent of 0.90 today..New TSCL Poll Should Medicare Be Changed?.The Democratic Platform.Automatic renewals are supposed to make this fall's Open Enrollment under the new health law run more smoothly for consumers like you. But analysts are warning to only do so as a last resort - especially if you qualified for a lower premium. The lower premiums are made possible through premium subsidies, which are actually an advance tax credit based on your income. According to analysts, health insurance exchange customers who like the convenience of automatically renewing are likely to receive outdated and inaccurate premium subsidy amounts that could result in big tax bills later..Also this week, one new cosponsor in the Senate signed on to Sen. John Kerry's Social Security Fairness Act, bringing the total up to eighteen. The new cosponsor is Sen. Debbie Stabenow.."That simply isn't the case," says TSCL Chairman, Larry Hyland. TSCL conducts an annual survey of typical senior costs. "That data indicates that Social Security benefits have lost more than one-third of their buying power since 2000," Hyland says. "Changes that cut COLAs even further would make it that much harder for seniors and disabled beneficiaries to afford rising Medicare, energy, and other costs," he notes..In fact, according to research by The Senior Citizens League, homeowner's insurance has grown 199 percent since 2000, making it one of the fastest growing costs that retirees face, second only to prescription drug costs. Joe reports that his homeowners and car insurance have increased every renewal period over the past two years. His homeowner's premiums rose from ,284 a year to ,566, an increase of 22 percent. Joe's auto insurance premiums increased 0 over the last four renewal periods, which are every six months, despite no tickets or accidents. Government subsidized FEMA flood insurance this year increased 7.4%..If you're like most Medicare beneficiaries, you rarely make changes to your health or drug plans, but this is one of the biggest financial mistakes you can make in retirement. Insurers make numerous changes to drug and health plans that increase your out–of–pocket costs every year. Your health changes, and the plans that once were your best deal, may be full of high cost surprises now. Every year new plans, even new plans offered by your current insurer, compete for your business by offering similar or better coverage, for lower costs. Comparing your Medicare plan coverage every year and making changes when it's in your best interest, is one of the most important financial habits to get into..What do you feel are Medicare's major problem areas, and how do you feel they should be addressed?