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This years study of retiree costs found that between January of 2000 and January of 2019, Social Security COLAs increased Social Security benefits by 50 percent, but the costs of goods and services purchased by typical retirees rose more than twice as fast - 100.3 percent. Food and medical costs - particularly for fresh fruits and vegetables, and prescription drugs - were among the most rapidly - rising costs over the past year. The study examines the growth since 2000 in price of goods and services that are typical for retired and disabled households, and, compares them to the growth in Social Security benefits due to annual COLAs..The coronavirus has hit older Americans particularly hard and sent tens of thousands of Medicare recipients to hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units. That type of care comes with particularly pricey out-of-pocket costs which we expect will drive up Medicare Part B spending for 2020. We.Benefit Bulletin: March/April 2020 What to do When You Can't Afford Medicare Premiums.Conferees Hit Budget Impasse.Increasing life expectancy, longer retirements, and an increase in the number of retirees all mean that a larger share of the population will be utilizing health services and receiving benefits from Medicare. DCW jobs are currently among the fastest-growing occupations in the country, though their training programs and earnings fail to reflect their incredibly important roles. A recent report by the Brookings Institute found that personal care aides, and nursing, psychiatric and home health aides have median earnings of ,000 and ,000 respectively..At what age do you think most people retire? According to the Social Security Administration, the largest group retires at age 62 with reduced benefits! Only 4% wait to start benefits at 70, the age at which they would get the maximum amount. Could the fact that most people file for Social Security benefits so early be simply because they hear so often that they can do so at 62? Does 62 become a distorting anchor on our thinking?.Lawmakers Remain in Recess.New legislation passed in the House to repeal and replace Obamacare puts access to health care for the sickest, poorest, and even older Americans on Medicare at risk, warns The Senior Citizens League. Says TSCL's Medicare and Social Security policy analyst, Mary Johnson, "The GOP's American Health Care Act:.Last year, more than one-fourth of participants in TSCL's Senior Survey reported that they had received a "surprise" medical bill in the past 12 months. While surprise medical bills can refer to any number of situations, including a sudden cost increase for prescriptions, recent legislation passed in December of 2020 addresses a certain type. Specifically, medical bills that a patient unexpectedly receives when treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility.."Extra Help Basics," Medicare Interactive, The Medicare Rights Center, accessed on June 19, 2018.