Wellness

[Mom2Dogs]

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@isaboo wrote:

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@SXMGirl wrote:

@viva923  People should be contacting their senators and representatives in congress.  This is outrageous.  Luckily, my supplement is through my state plan and we were notified that our rates would not change this year--no telling what will happen next year.  I do believe that if enough people actually complain that the message will get through.  While some people have poor representation, when my spine surgery was cancelled by medicare, I contacted my senator and his office took care of everything.  I hope that you are represented by someone as good.

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        I agree senators and representatives should be contacted.  Unfortunately, there is more to come.

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I contact my representatives ALL THE TIME, I will add this to the list of things I think is unfair or not right.  I will get the usual letter, thank you for contacting us....blah, blah, blah.  I don't think it makes much of a difference but makes me feel like I am doing my part to lthem them know how I feel.  

Currently I am waiting on a reply as to how can there be so much unemployment at the same time every business needs employees...I want to know who is supplementing those that are unemployed.

[SilleeMee]

@Mom2Dogs 

I wonder about that, too...the unemployed. I personally know of a person who is receiving some kind of gov financial assistance, called something like 'hardship financial assistance' or something like that where a person has to meet a list of requirements to get monthly gov checks. It's not a welfare check but something else. The person I know who gets the hardship money had a lot of bad things happen in a short amount time...lost job, terminally sick spouse, lots of unpaid bills and a child to support. The checks were substantial enough to sustain a household but not enough to get out of debt.

[Mom2Dogs]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

@Mom2Dogs 

I wonder about that, too...the unemployed. I personally know of a person who is receiving some kind of gov financial assistance, called something like 'hardship financial assistance' or something like that where a person has to meet a list of requirements to get monthly gov checks. It's not a welfare check but something else. The person I know who gets the hardship money had a lot of bad things happen in a short amount time...lost job, terminally sick spouse, lots of unpaid bills and a child to support. The checks were substantial enough to sustain a household but not enough to get out of debt.

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Interesting, I wonder if that is a NEW PROGRAM?  I do empathize with anyone going thru diffcult times, and I have no clear view or answer, but is it up to the government to subsidise people beause of a hardsship...I honestly do not know.

[Growing]

The reasoning is actually that Medicare is paying out more for medical care. It is false that the government decided this just because they gave Social Security recipients an increase. Medicare costs go up just like private health insurance or Marketplace plans. I am 63 and pay $1400 a month for health and dental HMO insurance, decent insurance that doctors in my area will take with a low deductible. But all Marketplace plans pay about half of one's hospitalization bill and this is why I pay for a higher quality policy. Its an HMO too, and there is often a stranglehold on getting quick specialist care. I am waiting, waiting to get on Medicare and I still think this is a decent price even with the increase. Trying paying what I pay! Yes I know we earned our Medicare and Social Security but the cost has been artificially held low for many years now. Because it makes older adults mad and they usually vote so politicians don't want the blow back. I am interested to see what blow back we see. 

[ThinkOutsidetheBox]

No, they can't. Unfortunately. What you get for military retirement or VA disability is offset by any amount you collect from SS last I was told. 😕

[Mom2Dogs]

 IF the ads I see on tv are true, some supplies for Medicare are free....why? The only thing that comes to mind right now are diabetic test strips.  Why is this free as well as other supplies that I see advertised?  Shouldn't the recipient pay at least a small fee.  Sometimes if things are free,  people take advantage.

I know very little about Medicare but from what I read there is also a lot of fraud.  Maybe the government should work a bit harder to find those that are committing fraud that would save a lot of money.

I also realize that the new deductible will be difficult for those on a very fixed income.

Along with a small increase in my husbands supplement plan, his drug plan went up AND they also changed the tier on his medication, so that will cost more.

[Cakers3]

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@depglass wrote:

I"ve heard military pensions can be supplemented by social security.  Too bad state pensions can't.  What a rip.

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@depglass   It isn't a rip. 

Military pay before 1957 did not deduct SS taxes.

Credits were given based on pay and those could be used at retirement.

See the SS.gov website.  It explains that military pay now does deduct for SS and Medicare.  I'm not going to type it all out but they do pay into the system.

[Pantsonfire2]

@SilleeMee ...  After working for attorneys for 40 years, I still enjoy watching some of the court shows on TV in the afternoon.  Judge Judy always asks people how they support themselves during some period of time and I am amazed by the answers she received.  Some have four or five Government agencies paying for such things as unemployment, disability, pay for caring for an elderly or disabled mother or father, some receive a huge amount received after a disability was denied for a year or two and finally won, student loan advances, money from automobile accident settlements, welfare, Section 8 housing ... on and on but many from several Govt. sources.  I do not begrudge anyone any amount received during troubled times but I am AMAZED at the number of Government agencies that pay young, able bodied individuals not to work for a myriad of reasons. Yet my Medicare goes up even though I paid into SS for 50 years.  Many young people are not returning to work after COVID or quitting their jobs ??  Something stinks !!  

[Valstybaby]

My Social Security went up 5.9% which wasn't much and then they changed my Medical Tier and I am paying double for my Medical insurance so I ended up losing money. So much for my increase - for me it's a joke! 

[violann]

I contacted "my representative" last January to attempt to schedule the vaccine, for which I was highly recommended, and in the highest priority group for my state.

Nothing, no response, got COVID, sick for 5 weeks, continue to have COVID related issues since February 2021.

If no one was bothered with me then, I doubt that anyone will care about me now.