No COLA for Social Security - Page 5

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

@151949 wrote:
As far as I know medicare has not gone up this year either. I have not received any notification from medicare of an increase in the premium.

perhaps not for you and your Medicare provider or supplemental plan

there are dozens upon dozens of every iteration of Medicare plans. yes, some of the 2016 changes indicate an increase above the $ 105 per month AND an increase in co-pays, cost per day hospital stays, changes to drug tiers and more

"... by shielding 70 percent of beneficiaries from rate increases, that same law exposes the remaining 30 percent to major price shocks. Medicare actuaries predicted in July that the standard premium for those beneficiaries would rise next year to $159 a month, from just under $105 a month for most beneficiaries, the same as in 2013 and 2014." New York Times 10/15/15

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/us/politics/medicare-premiums-social-security-cost-of-living.html?...

PamfromCT · ‎05-22-2014

First of all, let me say we are enjoying a very comfortable retirement. We are both educated and have worked very hard. We have always been very careful with our spending and have also put our children through college. We have been fortunate with our investments, as well.

That said, we have also endured some very scary times when we could have lost everything. My husband was "downsized" when our youngest was a freshman in college. It took a year before DH got another professional job.

We are extremely grateful for the way things turned out. Many, many are not so fortunate. And through no fault of their own.

I have virtually no tolerance for the attitude "If you are not in a good position in retirement, it is your fault." We have the opposite attitude. We feel we have an obligation to help others less fortunate. It is the least we can do.

I volunteer in a nursing care facility, run by Carholic sisters, which exists to take care of the elderly poor. In the years I have been there, every resident I have met has worked long and hard but are poor due to circumstances beyond their control. These people built America. They are treated so well and respected. It is a gift to me to be able to be there.

If anyone has no compassion for those who are hurting financially, I would say they are lacking in the knowledge that anyone, through no fault of their own, can wind up in this position.

If our nation can spend endless billions of dollars on wars, going on forever, what does it say that those who rely on Social Security get so little? Our yearly cost to stay in Afghanistan is $14.6 billion a year. We have spent $686 billion there so far.

And our citizens in their old age can't even get a few scraps from the table?

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

@ashleigh dupray wrote:

"... by shielding 70 percent of beneficiaries from rate increases, that same law exposes the remaining 30 percent to major price shocks. Medicare actuaries predicted in July that the standard premium for those beneficiaries would rise next year to $159 a month, from just under $105 a month for most beneficiaries, the same as in 2013 and 2014." New York Times 10/15/15

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/us/politics/medicare-premiums-social-security-cost-of-living.html?...

Just my luck - I start Medicare in 2016 so I'll have to pay for the rise in cost.

momtochloe · ‎11-03-2013

@PamfromCT wrote:
First of all, let me say we are enjoying a very comfortable retirement. We are both educated and have worked very hard. We have always been very careful with our spending and have also put our children through college. We have been fortunate with our investments, as well.

That said, we have also endured some very scary times when we could have lost everything. My husband was "downsized" when our youngest was a freshman in college. It took a year before DH got another professional job.

We are extremely grateful for the way things turned out. Many, many are not so fortunate. And through no fault of their own.

I have virtually no tolerance for the attitude "If you are not in a good position in retirement, it is your fault." We have the opposite attitude. We feel we have an obligation to help others less fortunate. It is the least we can do.

I volunteer in a nursing care facility, run by Carholic sisters, which exists to take care of the elderly poor. In the years I have been there, every resident I have met has worked long and hard but are poor due to circumstances beyond their control. These people built America. They are treated so well and respected. It is a gift to me to be able to be there.

If anyone has no compassion for those who are hurting financially, I would say they are lacking in the knowledge that anyone, through no fault of their own, can wind up in this position.

If our nation can spend endless billions of dollars on wars, going on forever, what does it say that those who rely on Social Security get so little? Our yearly cost to stay in Afghanistan is $14.6 billion a year. We have spent $686 billion there so far.
And our citizens in their old age can't even get a few scraps from the table?

Thank you for this, so very well said . . . God bless you for your volunteer work!

Mama Mia · ‎03-10-2010

@Mj12 wrote:
Not just social security recipients; no COLA increase for disabled vets or for retired military.

@Mj12or retired Federal annuitants, 35 years, DH.

mm

"Cats are like potato chips, you can never have just one".

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@AngusandBuddhasMomAs our world changes, I'm hoping some of that will also change. More and more women do work and earn their SS quarters than did when SS came into effect.

I graduated from HS in the 1950's while my sisters both finished school in the 40's. Already by my time, more women were going to work than did in their classes, so the need may gradually become less and less. But lots of women from those years when women weren't so welcome in the workplace are still alive and needing SS.

But there are other issues, too. How we provide care for young families, how we pay those who stay home to provide that care, not just in the care years but in the years after that is all part of the SS conundrum. From the outside, these issues sound easy or the politicians campaigning try to make it sound easy, but it's not. It never is when money and values live in the same space.

Stray · ‎04-20-2013

In the AARP magazine, it stated people may have as much as a 52% hike in Part B Medicare....it's an obscure part of Medicare law....Most pay $104.90 and the amount is deducted from social security, those most likely will not be affected. If you are still working and are age 65, you must apply for Part A....when i retired, i enrolled in part B....I did not take social security immediately upon retirement and waited until the maximum benefit and therefore would not have Medicare payments subtracted from social security because I was not collecting it. Payments were made directly to Medicare. If you pay a higher premium above $104.90 due to income and even tho it is deducted from SS, you may see a hike of $159.30 or higher...if you are enrolled in Part B but the payments are made to Medicare, you will be affected as well. The cost will be shifted to higher income recipients and those new to the program expected to sign up in 2016.

Stray · ‎04-20-2013

@chrystaltree wrote:
@catwhisperer wrote:
As already mentioned, food prices. Then there are the rising costs of rents and utilities. Our rent is 45% of our monthly income! Those in charge just don't care. They HAVE money, so COLA is non of their concern.

Get real, that 1.5% increase wasn't going to change your life anyway.

True but a hike in part B for some may

Stray · ‎04-20-2013

Yes, sadly you are in the category if you sign up 2016

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

This board is a joke. One one hand everyone has their panties in a knot because they aren't going to get a few dollars a month in COLA raise - always an insignificant amount anyway. On the other hand I started a thread saying I thought that $52.50 +tax & S&H was way too much for a polyester shirt and everyone jumped all over me telling me that was a very reasonable price. That shirt would be 3x the average COLA raise.