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According to the new Medicare Trustee Report released in April of this year, Medicare Part B premiums for 2020 are expected to rise .80 from 5.50 to 4.30 in 2020. That would swallow the entire COLA of Social Security recipients with benefits of about 5 or less. According to Social Security data, roughly 4 million low benefit Social Security recipients could be at risk of seeing no growth in their net Social Security benefit due to rising Part B premiums..In 2017 the COLA was just 0.3%, but the Medicare Part B premium rose to 4.00 for people like new enrollees and others who haven't started Social Security yet and pay for their Medicare by check. Once again, the Part B premium of Barbara and the vast majority of Social Security recipients was protected from reductions. Barbara's monthly Medicare premium was adjusted to 108.00, taking every penny of her tiny COLA boost..For more information about the Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act or to view a list of bills endorsed by The Senior Citizens League in the 116th Congress, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website..Gold standard. Companies acquire drugs considered the best available for the condition they treat, ensuring that physicians would continue to prescribe it even if the price increased..The 2018 findings represent a substantial 4 percent loss in Social Security benefit buying power from January 2017 through January 201The loss deepened from 30 percent in 2017 to 34 percent in 201Of the thirty-nine costs analyzed in the study, twenty-six exceeded the percentage increase in the COLA over the 2000 to 2018 period..Volunteer and civic opportunities.The Super Committee failed to come to agreement last week, resulting in a mandated sequestration of cuts in defense and domestic spending. The sequester was intended to urge lawmakers on the committee to come to an agreement, however the stalemate will result in automatic 1.2 trillion dollar budget cuts over the next decade..That's the case for Ninon Ruscher and her husband John of Tuscon, Arizona, who rely on Social Security for all of their income. Mrs. Ruscher says that, "seniors who rent their own homes are in a precarious financial situation." "Once we pay the monthly bills, we sit at home. We don't have the money to do anything or go anywhere. Once the food runs out we have to wait until our next Social Security payment," she adds. Mrs. Ruscher notes that even though her husband receives health benefits through the Veterans Administration, and she's enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, they are still trying to pay off expenses from her recent surgery earlier this year..There is real concern that many people who are treated for the coronavirus could end up with surprise medical bills. Because of that Democrats want to make health-care services free to people who contract the new coronavirus. If treatment were free, those with the virus wouldn't have to fear surprise medical bills. That would, of course, still leave unsolved the issue of surprise billing for other types of treatments.