Social Security Changes in 2020
In The United States, over 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 years old every day. Some have already retired. Many are counting the days until they can leave their job and travel, rest, spend more time with family and do their bucket list adventures. For most, Social Security will be a major part oftheir retirement income. With that in mind, it is important to know how Social Security will be changing in 2020.
1 - Dipping into the Social Security Trust Fund
Without some major action from Congress, the current Social Security excess trust fund revenue will be depleted by the year 2034. If this occurs, it is estimated that Social Security would only be able to pay less than 80% of the promised benefits from ongoing payroll taxes.
2 - Full Retirement Age Has Increased
For those still a few years away from retirement, those born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age has increased to 67. You will still be able to start taking Social Security Retirement Benefits at age 62, but with reduced, smaller monthly payments. You can still get Medicare at 65 years old, but the Medicare premiums can not be taken out of your Social Security benefits if you are waiting for and not getting Social Security benefits yet. You will have to pay Social Security every month for your Medicare. When you receive Social Security benefits, your Medicare premium will be deducted from that.
3 - Cost of Living Adjustments
Low inflation is awesome for consumers, as it means pricing isn’t going up that fast. On the other hand, lower inflation numbers mean a very small cost of living increase for your Social Security benefits. Social Security benefits can be increased each year, depending on inflation numbers and other things.
4 - Maximum Social Security Benefits Will Increase
No individual at full retirement age can take home more than $2,861 per month, regardless of their pre-retirement income. This number can be increased by delaying Social Security until the age of 70. Bill Gates won’t get more than this at full retirement age, neither will you.
Could you live off of $34,332 per year? Probably not.
You can only take home more than this amount in Social Security benefits if you delay your benefits until you reach the age of 70, but I would not recommend that especially for men. Men have a lower life expectancy than women. Men should grab their money as soon as possible. Remember, the house always wins.
In case you were wondering, waiting till 70 could increase your Social Security benefits by 32% compared with the starting benefit at 66. This takes the maximum monthly benefit up to about $3,776 per month. This is a good option if you do not need the money before you are 70 and you want your spouse to get more when you pass away.
5 - More of Your Social Security Will be Taxed
Yes, your Social Security benefits are taxable. The amount that is hit with taxes will depend on household income levels. Just fifty percent of your benefits will be taxed if your income is between $25,000 and $34,000 as an individual. That goes up to $32,000 to $44,000 for a married couple, still another example of the marriage penalty.
Hopefully, everyone reading this needs more income than that to live off in retirement. If so, 85% of your Social Security benefits will be taxable. That is assuming you have an income in retirement above $34,000 (individual) or $44,000 as a married couple.
6 - The End of some of Social Security Maximization Strategies
"File and suspend" was a great social security maximization strategy that is no longer available to younger Americans. The last few baby boomers who were grandfathered into eligibility will turn 70 in 2020. Seventy is the latest you can wait to start your Social Security benefits.
________________________________________________
Victory for Seniors
This just in...from the Center for Medicare Advocacy Finally after YEARS of Insanity, a Victory for seniors!!! The Improvement Standard Settlement is a settlement in the class action lawsuit brought against the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to eliminate the policy and practice of the illegal, harmful and unfair Medicare "Improvement Standard."
The Improvement Standard has harmed thousands of older and disabled Medicare beneficiaries who need Skilled Nursing Facility care to maintain their conditions, but who have been denied coverage on the grounds that they are "not improving". A settlement has been reached and will create a smoother road for beneficiaries to receive the health care they need.
CMS will revise the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual and other Medicare Manuals to correct suggestions that coverage is dependent on a beneficiary "improving," and add provisions stating that skilled services necessary to maintain a person's condition can be covered by Medicare.
After the policy revisions are completed, CMS will conduct an education campaign to inform providers, Medicare decision-makers, and adjudicators of the new skilled maintenance provisions. Volunteers Needed
Volunteer for the Senior Medicare Patrol. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a group of highly trained volunteers who teach about Medicare health care fraud. Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers show Medicare and Medicaid recipients how to protect against, detect and report many types of Medicare fraud. Senior Medicare Patrol Volunteers serve at least 8 hours a month. They must first complete 30 hours of Medicare training and 20 hours of internship to be able to become a Certified Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) Volunteer Counselor. They also complete an additional 2 hours of SMP training in Medicare fraud. Monthly SMP webinars are also available for the needed continued training and updates on current fraud issues. As ObamaCare kicked into full gear in 2014, the enrollment dates are the same as Medicare Advantage Plans and Part D Drug Plans, October 15 - December 07. HICAP needs MANY Senior volunteer counselors for that busy and confusing time.
The Fresno office will not work will Insurance Agents or Insurance Brokers, but I believe they need MANY more volunteer counselors.
HICAP: NEW ADDRESS
5363 N. Fresno Ave
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 224-9117
More information: http://valleycrc.org
Warning!
BE ADVISED: There are many scams going on right now from people calling seniors saying they are from Medicare or an Insurance Company trying to get your Medicare Number. They know that your Medicare number is a social security number. They can cause great financial hardship for you if they have your social security number and can steal your identity. Make sure you get the phone number of the person claiming to be from Medicare or Insurance Company so that Medicare can deal with the situation.
IT IS ILLEGAL UNDER MEDICARE REGULATIONS FOR AN AGENT TO CALL YOU ABOUT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS, UNLESS THEY ARE YOUR CURRENT AGENT, OR YOU SIGNED A SCOPE OF APPOINTMENT FORM PRIOR AND REQUESTED FOR THEM TO CALL YOU.
PLEASE NEVER GIVE YOUR MEDICARE NUMBER TO ANYONE OVER THE PHONE!SSI Benefit Increase
Social Security Finally Announces 1.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2020! Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 68 million Americans will increase 1.6 percent in 2020, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 1.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 68 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2020. How much will the monthly Medicare part B cost in 2020?
That all depends on your income, looking back 2 years.
If you are a SINGLE PERSON, your premiums will start at $144.60 a month if your income is less than $87,000. Income $87,001 - $109,000 - your premium will be $202.40. Income $109,001 - $136,000 - Your premium will be $289.20. Income $136,001- $163,000 - your premium will be $376.00. Income $163,001 - $500,000 - your premium will be $462.70. Income over $500,000, your premium will be $491.60 a month.
If you are MARRIED, your individual monthly premiums per person will start at $144.60 a month if your income as a couple is less than $174,000. Income $174,001 - $218,000 - your premium will be $202.40. Income $218,001 - $272,000 - your premium will be $289.20. Income $272,001 - $326,000 your premium will be $376.00. Income $326,001 - $750,000 - your premium will be $462.70. Income over $750,001 - your premium will be $491.60 a month.
You will pay nothing for part B premiums if you are also on full Medi-Cal.
559-307-2287
.Call Me Today!
New Law
A new law protects seniors! The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law on July 21, giving priority status to the protection of consumers from predatory practices. With one out of every five people age 65 or older victimized by money-related crimes or questionable financial practices, the new law is especially beneficial to seniors. The house bill would teach seniors about scams and scam artists. H.R. 3040 would authorize $50 million over the next five years for the Federal Trade Commission to help seniors learn about financial fraud through educational programs and a new website. The measure passed 335 to 81. .__________________________________________________
New CA Website
New California Website for seniors: www.seniors.ca.gov. The Senior Gateway website is intended to provide seniors, their families, and caregivers with information they need to connect to services and resources, to find answers and solve problems. Information on such topics as:
Avoiding and Reporting Abuse & Neglect
Preventing Fraud
Financial Abuse & Common Scams
Health Care Information
Your Rights
Other Resources
www.seniors.ca.gov
_______________________________________________
MEDICARE for ALL Eliminates
MEDICARE for Everyone!!
Universal access to health care—and no bureaucratic delays?
Though it sounds too good to be true, a plurality of Americans, according to the National Opinion Research Center, actually thinks it is. They report that 42 percent of respondents in a national survey believe that “Medicare for All” would increase access to doctors and hospitals, while only 24 percent expect such a program would reduce access.
This faith is misplaced. Britain and Canada provide their citizens with single-payer national health insurance, and the evidence is overwhelming: Access to government health insurance does not automatically translate into access to medical care, let alone the avoidance of frustrating and sometimes dangerous delays in medical treatment.
Consider the problem of delays. In the British National Health Service (NHS)—the grand-daddy of “single-payer” health care—there are more than 4 million people awaiting hospitalization. To their credit, the British media has not been shy about reporting the shabby conditions in overcrowded and understaffed British hospitals, the denials or cancellations of surgeries, and the suffering of British patients.
For those British citizens who want to avoid care delays or denials by the NHS, there is the option of enrolling in British private health insurance. Such an option is especially desirable for British patients in need of highly specialized medical procedures, such as coronary bypass or orthopedic surgeries.
In the United States, congressional liberals—in the text of their leading “Medicare for All” bills (H.R. 676 and S. 1804)—would outlaw virtually all private health insurance, including job-based health coverage, Medicare, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements, Medigap, ObamaCare, and Retirement Insurance Plans. In short, they would deny every American the right to enroll in any alternative to the government plan.
American health care deficiencies are indeed serious—quality is uneven and non-competitive markets drive up costs and undercut the affordability of care and coverage. On measures of access to care, however, researchers writing for the Journal of the American Medical Association—examining the comparative performance of 11 “high-income” nations—found that “the United States generally performed better than other countries.”
Concerning access to specialized care, for example, they found that only 6 percent of American patients reported waiting more than two months to see a medical specialist, compared to 39 percent of Canadian patients and 19 percent of British patients. The Fraser Institute, a prominent Canadian think tank, estimated that in 2018 the median waiting time for a Canadian patient to see a medical specialist on referral from a general practitioner was 19.8 weeks.
Access to high-quality care is also dependent on the availability of medical goods, as well as specialized services, including advanced medical technology. The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers found that the U.S. ranks first in the utilization of computed tomography units, and second in the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines per million of the population (38.1), while Canada has only 8.9 MRIs per million and Britain has just 7.2
Likewise, in fighting breast cancer, the United States deploys 43.3 mammography units per million of the population, while Britain has just 21 and Canada has only 17.3.
Not surprisingly, the researchers found that screening for the prevention of breast cancer is higher in the United States than for all other high-income countries.
Americans can also celebrate stellar progress in reducing death from heart disease. In a major study for the National Bureau of Economic Research, another team of researchers reports that between 1950 and 2015, mortality from cardiovascular disease declined by a stunning 73 percent.
Thank the quality of American medical interventions. At a rate of 79 procedures per 100,000 in the population, according to the report, Americans lead other high-income countries in the availability of coronary bypass surgery. In comparison, Canadians have a rate of 58 procedures per 100,000 and the British just 26.
On the provision of coronary angioplasty, the United States operates at a rate of 248 per 100,000 of the population, compared to Canada with just 157 and Britain at only 128. The United States also has a much better record of reduced mortality after incidents of stroke and heart attacks than most other advanced countries.
Access and quality problems in government-controlled health care are not far from home. Just ponder the scandalous delays and denials of care at the “single-payer” Veterans Administration, Obamacare’s notoriously narrow provider networks, and the historically poor record of patient access to doctors, quality care, and medical outcomes in the Medicaid program.
A National Opinion Research Center survey reports that most Americans are “somewhat” or “very” concerned about their access to doctors and hospitals. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 70 percent of Americans would oppose “Medicare for All” if it would “lead to delays in people getting some medical tests and treatments.”
Experience is the best teacher. The lesson: Liberal promises do not match “single-payer” performance. Looking at the record, ordinary Americans can know the truth.
Copyright © Susan Hatch. All Rights Reserved.