The last few days have brought some relatively good news for seniors from the two most important government agencies in their lives. The Social Security Administration announced that 2019 will bring the biggest cost-of-living adjustment to Social Security recipients in years. That COLA will be 2.8%, not a fortune by any means, but better than recent years.
According to Yahoo Finance, the average retiree gets $1,422 a month in Social Security benefits. The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2019 will increase that figure to $1,461 a month. This will hardly make a senior into a millionaire, but it is the best COLA since 2012.
Meanwhile, the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) announced relatively small changes in Medicare premiums and deductibles for 2019. The tables below apply to the vast majority of seniors covered by Medicare. For them, the monthly Part B premium will increase by only $1.50 and the Part B annual deductible will increase by only $2.00. Seniors who have much higher incomes (more than $85,000 for singles or $170,000 for joint filers) pay higher Part B premiums, but this is less than 5% of Medicare recipients
| Part B Monthly Premiums up only $1.50 | Part B Yearly Deductable up only $2.00 | |||||
| 2018 Part B Premium | 2019 Part B Premium | Change | 2018 Part B Deductable | 2019 Part B Deductable | Change | |
| $134.00 | $135.50 | $1.50 | $183.00 | $185.00 | $2.00 | |
The Part A (hospital coverage) deductible goes up by $24 in 2019.
| Part A Deductable up $24 | ||
| 2018 Part A Deductable | 2019 Part A Deductable | Change |
| $1,340.00 | $1,364.00 | $24.00 |
These figures apply to seniors who have elected to be on “Original Medicare.” Medicare Advantage Plans (or Medicare Part C) may offer lower costs plus side benefits. For example, some Medicare Advantage plans offer a SilverSneakers® membership as part of the program. However, there are also drawbacks like network limitations for doctors, pharmacies and hospitals. Each individual must determine for themselves whether original Medicare or one of numerous Advantage plans is best for them. New Medicare rules allow a “Test Drive” for Advantage Plans.
There is a new OurSeniors.net partner and Approved Vendor who can help. Humana is a well-known name in healthcare, especially in senior care. The Medicare Open Enrollment period is the perfect time to talk to them about your Medicare options. Humana’s Daytona Beach office is located at 1500 Beville Road. Seniors can call the office at 386-200-4191 to get full information about the many choices open to them.
Have you investigated the extras provided by Medicare Advantage Plans? Do you know which plans have network requirements, include drug coverage or offer benefits like the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program? Do not put this important decision off. The choice you make between October 15 and December 7 will determine your health care options for 2019, so talk to a Humana representative today by calling the office at 386-200-4191.
