Medicare Archives

What’s Behind the Medicare Part B Premium Spike?

The nearly 67 million Americans who depend on Medicare will ring in the new year with an unwelcome cost increase. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that Part B premiums will rise to $203 per month from $185 in 2025. That $18 (or 10%) increase will consume about one-third of the average Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). “The average COLA will be $56 per month before the $18 Medicare Part B premium hike, leaving the average Social Security beneficiary with an effective monthly increase of $36 next year” noted our President and CEO Max Richtman in a news release.

Lucas Kaplan2025-11-19T14:24:06-04:00November 19th, 2025|Categories: COLAs, Congress, Max Richtman, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, seniors, Social Insurance, Social Security|

What Does the End of the Shutdown Mean for Older Americans?

As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history finally ends, many of our readers are asking: what does this deal mean for older adults? We supported Democratic efforts to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies. Without Congressional action to extend these subsidies, millions of “near seniors”— aged 54 to 65— are poised to face dramatically higher health insurance premiums in 2026.

Lucas Kaplan2025-11-13T14:54:37-04:00November 13th, 2025|Categories: affordable care act, Congress, Democrats, GOP, Medicare, Older Americans, Republicans|

Open Enrollment Season Begins at a Fraught Time for Medicare

This year's Medicare open enrollment season, which began on October 15, comes at a concerning time for the program. There are

NCPSSM2025-10-17T15:44:30-04:00October 17th, 2025|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Let the Drug Pricing Games Begin!

nder pressure from the White House, Big Pharma has been touting “discounts” via Direct to Consumer (DTC) websites. Meanwhile, the Trump administration promises to unveil its own prescription website, immodestly named TrumpRx, in 2026. Prescription drug prices obviously are still too high, though President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 was beginning to make headway in bringing them down. Unlike Biden’s IRA, these latest gestures by Big Pharma and the Trump Administration should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.

NCPSSM2025-10-15T15:07:19-04:00October 3rd, 2025|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Deciding on Part D Coverage, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden, Trump|

Trump Shutdown Could Snag Social Security, Medicare

In normal times, a government shutdown --- while unfortunate --- would not be cause for immediate alarm for people on Social Security and Medicare. But these are not normal times. The Trump administration has made the shutdown more perilous for the most vulnerable Americans because of its campaign to undermine the delivery of both programs --- not to mention the President’s recent threat to cut benefits.

NCPSSM2025-10-15T15:31:31-04:00October 1st, 2025|Categories: COLAs, Congress, Democrats, Medicare, Social Security, Social Security Administration (SSA), Trump, Trump Administration|

Medicare Turned 60! Here’s Why We Can’t Simply Celebrate

Medicare turns 60 years old today. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law on July 30, 1965, giving seniors a guarantee of health coverage that never existed before. Prior to Medicare’s enactment, it was nearly impossible for older people to obtain health insurance, as they were considered a ‘bad risk.’

Walter Gottlieb2025-09-26T15:59:50-04:00July 30th, 2025|Categories: Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

2025 Medicare Premium Hike Nothing New, Part of Larger Trend

Medicare beneficiaries will be paying a higher premium for Part B insurance in 2025. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Medicare premiums have been rising every year for decades now. The 2025 increase, though, is receiving an unusual amount of attention, probably because of the media’s hyper-focus on inflation in general.

Walter Gottlieb2024-11-18T14:16:49-04:00November 18th, 2024|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Tester Opponent’s Ad Full of Falsehoods on Social Security

Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy stooped to new lows in a recent ad that hit to the airwaves this Summer. In less than 30 seconds, the Koch-funded, billionaire-backed campaign unveiled a series of baseless claims on incumbent Senator. Jon Tester, attempting to misinform Montana seniors on who is looking out for their retirement security. We take a closer look at these lies, and where these two candidates really land on Social Security.

Lucas Kaplan2024-09-18T14:32:21-04:00September 18th, 2024|Categories: Congress, Election 2024, Medicare, Senator Jon Tester, Social Security, Social Security Trust Fund|

Harris, Dems Promise to Protect Seniors’ Earned Benefits at Convention

Along with powerful speakers from across the Democratic party (and even some Republicans), heartfelt personal testimonials, and a music-infused roll call, Social Security and Medicare played a prominent role during this week’s convention in Chicago. Democrats hammered home the message that Kamala Harris will protect senior’s earned benefits while Donald Trump and Project 2025 pose a clear threat to Social Security and Medicare (despite Trump’s mixed-messages on the subject).

Walter Gottlieb2024-08-23T15:58:27-04:00August 23rd, 2024|Categories: Election 2024, Kamala Harris, Medicare, Social Security|

Tim Walz Brings Unwavering Support for Seniors to the Harris Campaign

Seventy percent of voters did not know who Tim Walz was before Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate on Tuesday. As Americans learn more about the Minnesota Governor and newly-minted VP candidate, they will discover that he is a true champion for seniors --- and a welcome addition to the Democratic ticket. As our president and CEO, Max Richtman, put it, Tim Walz has built an impressive record on issues affecting older Americans as a congressman and later as governor

Walter Gottlieb2024-08-07T16:27:44-04:00August 7th, 2024|Categories: Boost Social Security, Congress, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security|