Social Security
Medicare boosts reimbursement rates; good news for insurers
Shares for U.S. health insurers went up on the stock market yesterday, based on an announcement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that they will raise reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage plans starting in 2026. This is…
Clarifying the Social Security “dead people getting benefits” claim
With a great deal of fanfare, the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) implied that many obviously dead people over 120 years of age were receiving Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration has issued a clarification which disputes that…
Social Security is changing; but how?
Social Security sure has been in the media spotlight recently, with many accounts predicting benefit cuts, and some even predicting the demise of the program. Of course, most of that is hyperbolic nonsense, but what is the real situation with…
Social Security promise – broken, or not?
During the recent election cycle, all candidates promised that Social Security “would not be touched.” That included President Trump, who committed that he would not “touch” Social Security. But with the recent events associated with the Department of Government Efficiency…
Social Security Disability, and Autism
Coincident with recognition of World Autism Day (April 2nd), the Social Security Administration has reemphasized its commitment to disability benefits to people with autism. Social Security actually has two different disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security…
Ask Rusty – Will My Social Security Increase if I Keep Working After Applying?
Dear Rusty: I am going to be 67 in a few weeks & I plan on working for another year or two. According to Social Security, they count the best 35 years to come up with your benefit. I currently…
Social Security repayment rules
Are you in an overpayment status with the Social Security Administration? On March 27th, SSA changed how they collect overpayments, reversing the policy of having 10 percent of your overpayment withheld from your check to 100 percent. However, this new…
Social Security Administration’s moves from old programming language sparks fears
Some experts feel that DOGE’s effect in eliminating fraud at the Social Security Administration is misplaced. This concern stems from new reports that the Social Security Administration plans to migrate from an old COBOL computer programming language to a more…
Social Security insolvency is fixable
Not a day goes by that we don’t see some media posts about Social Security going bankrupt. Yes, the Social Security Trust fund is facing an insolvency issue in the coming years; however, it is fixable. One fixable item is…
How to calculate your full retirement age
You can start your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. So, how do you find out what your full retirement age is?…