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Increasing life expectancy, longer retirements, and an increase in the number of retirees all mean that a larger share of the population will be utilizing health services and receiving benefits from Medicare. DCW jobs are currently among the fastest-growing occupations in the country, though their training programs and earnings fail to reflect their incredibly important roles. A recent report by the Brookings Institute found that personal care aides, and nursing, psychiatric and home health aides have median earnings of ,000 and ,000 respectively.."The bottom line is that Medicare Part B premiums rise several times faster than COLAs, and those premiums are now high enough to cause the net Social Security benefits of millions of people to remain flat for years at a time," Johnson says. "We are at the point where this is affecting far more people than anyone ever anticipated, and it's a red flag that Medicare premiums are increasing too fast, while Social Security benefits are not adequately keeping pace," she explains..Here are some things to consider:.Food: The cost of food has been rising faster in recent years and food prices have easily outpaced overall inflation for many other types of goods. Among other senior spending categories, only prices for oil-based products and medical care have risen faster than food prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that meat prices, particularly beef and veal, are at record highs, and the USDA expects high prices for beef products through 201Poultry prices remain high but are falling. Try new recipes and plan menus. Use lower–cost cuts of meat and poultry and stretch your servings using less expensive sources of protein like beans, tofu, and high protein whole grains. Four chicken leg quarters that sell for under .49 per pound, for example, can yield 12 - one cup servings of home made chicken and whole grain rice soup, especially good made with white soup beans and fresh chopped mustard greens or endive. Freeze the extra and share with homebound friends.."Splitting pills, taking prescriptions every other day, or simply not refilling prescriptions is hazardous to health, especially when the drug is an essential one for conditions such as diabetes," says Johnson, whose mother was a diabetic. "The process of comparing plans can be a chore and confusing. But there are Medicare counselors in every state who are available to help beneficiaries compare and select the best choice of coverage, with free one - on - one counseling," Johnson explains..A new analysis from The Senior Citizens League of 12 frequently - prescribed drugs illustrates that Medicare recipients frequently overpay for their medications. "Because Medicare doesn't negotiate drug prices there are wild swings in prices between Part D drug plans," says Mary Johnson, The Senior Citizens League's Medicare and Social Security policy analyst. The difference in cost for the same drug between drug plans can be in the thousands of dollars for the most expensive drugs, and hundreds of dollars for more common prescriptions. Since the start of Medicare Part D in 2006, Johnson has volunteered to help friends and acquaintances shop for Part D plans..TSCL would like to remind you to contact your Members of Congress while they are in their home states and districts. Many Senators and Representatives will attend local events or schedule town hall meetings throughout the August recess. We encourage you to approach them and request their support for fair cost-of-living adjustments, Totalization agreement reform, and other key issues..According to the Administration on Aging, almost half of older women, age 75+ live alone. While transition to assisted living is a complex decision for which there are no simple or quick answers, your friend would be wise to start making plans now while she is able to think the issues through. Planning now will allow for unpressured time to research living options, financial costs, and locating the supports she may need to live independently..After Surgery What Can I Do About Unexpected Bills?