Use the Health and Drug Plan Finder found at..What do you think about expanding the role of Medicare Advantage plans? Visit us at and send us your comments..Changes to Medicare and the tax code this year will affect some seniors positively, but many more seniors negatively. Those who fall into the donut hole will receive some much-needed relief from the federal government, while young retirees with high medical bills and those who rely heavily on investment income may be hit with tax increases. The Senior Citizens League will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and will post updates on our website. To learn more about these and other issues affecting seniors, visit SeniorsLeague.org..Gradually, over 20 years, raise the Social Security payroll tax rate that workers and employers each pay from 6.2% of earnings to 7.2%. A worker earning ,000 a year would pay about 50 cents a week more each year, matched by the employer..Does the "anchoring" effect cause people to retire too soon?.How Social Security Can Be Fixed Without Deep Cuts.John, age 66, is already enrolled in Medicare in 200He pays .40 per month. Because there is no COLA, and the basic Medicare Part B increases, his Part B premium will remain .40 because he's protected by the hold harmless provision. His premium will be adjusted to prevent a reduction in his Social Security in 20His wife Jane is 6She's not eligible to enroll in Medicare Part B until 20Her monthly premium would be an estimated 4 instead of .40. She won't have "hold harmless" protection until 2011..Many believe that the public stage has politicized the debate and is preventing the group from reaching a breakthrough. With only one week to go before the Presidents Day recess, the next meetings will likely move behind closed doors..At 2.8%, the annual cost-of-living adjustment that Social Security beneficiaries received in 2019 was the highest in seven years. The average monthly retiree benefit of ,425 increased by almost , but since October of last year, consumer price index data indicate that growth in inflation has stalled. In fact, if the current trend continues, it suggests the COLA payable in 2020 could be zero, according to projections by Advisor editor, and COLA researcher, Mary Johnson.
