Today I read in the weekly Medicare Rights email that the monthly medicare
premium will rise to $159.30. However, it won't rise for those of us who
have been receiving social security benefits for a while and whose benefits
are deposited in their bank accounts, and whose medicare premiums are
automatically withdrawn from their social security benefits, because of some
legal nicety. But if your benefits are just beginning in November 2015, or
if your medicare premiums are not automatically subtracted from them, then
you have to pay the new amount. Most of us are currently paying $104.90 a
month for the medicare premium. I think that some higher income people pay a
higher amount.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2015 7:25 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: my blog carl jarvis
Subject: [blind-democracy] screwed again
Every senior who reads this information, and every person hoping to one day
become a senior citizen, and every family member should send copies of this
article to every one of their US Congress members, with a note explaining
why they will be out of work next time they are up for re-election.
Somewhere the government has lost its way. Instead of nurturing and
protecting its citizens, it is now feeding upon the poor and the elderly.
My old boss loved to grin in my face and say, "Nice guys finish last".
Well old boss, last place is getting very crowded. One day very soon, all
those "nice guys" will rise up with a roar and rip your grinning face off.
Carl Jarvis
On 10/15/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
that declined....
Thursday, 15 October 2015 06:56
Seniors Face Year of Increased Hardship as Social Security Benefits
Stagnate
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT In a specious move, the
federal government will deny Social Security recipients an adjusted
increase in benefits this coming year. (Photo:
401(K)
2012)
According to an October 15 Associated Press article, the federal
government has decided not to increase benefits this year for Social
Security
recipients:
The government says there will be no benefit increase next year for
millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal
retirees.
It's just the third time in 40 years that benefits will remain flat.
All three times have come since 2010....
The announcement will affect benefits for more than 70 million people
- that's more than one-fifth of the nation's population.
The total includes almost 60 million retirees, disabled workers,
spouses and children who get Social Security benefits.
The government asserts that it made the decision based on the recent
decline in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), an inflationary statistic
calculated by the US Department of Labor. In an October 15 news
release, the Labor Department stated:
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.2
percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all
items index was essentially unchanged before seasonal adjustment. The
energy index fell 4.7 percent in September, with all major component
indexes declining.
The gasoline index continued to fall sharply and was again the main
cause of the seasonally adjusted all items decrease.
However, there is a telling qualifier here - given how significantly
the fall in gas prices affected the calculation of the CPI:
In contrast to the energy declines, the indexes for food and for all
items less food and energy both accelerated in September. The food
index rose 0.4 percent, its largest increase since May 2014. The index
for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in September. The
indexes for shelter, medical care, household furnishings and
operations, and personal care all increased; the indexes for apparel,
used cars and trucks, new vehicles, and airline fares were among those
The 18.4 percent decline in the energy index over the past year offsetpurchasing needs.
increases in the indexes for food (up 1.6 percent) and all items less
food and energy (up 1.9 percent).
In short, given a rational assumption that seniors spend less on gas
than younger people and a greater percentage of their income on food,
medical care, and other expenditures such as shelter - particularly if
an elderly person is living on a fixed income such as Social Security
- they are confronting real inflation on most of their expenses. This
means that the government is speciously denying older Americans in
financial need an adjustment in Social Security that reflects their actual
The needs of seniors are proportioned differently than most Americansneed.
- and the bottom line is that they have experienced reduced spending
power on those items in the last year. They deserve a CPI adjustment
based on the inflationary pressure that they personally experience.
Furthermore - as BuzzFlash at Truthout has repeatedly pointed out -
for years now those persons with small savings accounts have received
virtually no interest from their banks. For example, the Bank of
America lists a "Rewards Money Market Savings Standard Rate" of 0.03
percent on its website.
That is virtually zero in interest that a senior receives on a basic
bank savings account. Adjusted for inflation, seniors with such
savings accounts are actually seeing a decrease in the value of their
bank savings when inflation is factored in. That is because inflation
on food, medical care and rent - for example - far exceeds the pennies
"earned" on thousands of dollars in savings.
The decision by the federal government not to provide an increase in
Social Security benefits this coming year will hurt those elderly most in
Not to be reposted without permission of Truthout.that declined....
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Thursday, 15 October 2015 06:56
Seniors Face Year of Increased Hardship as Social Security Benefits
Stagnate
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MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/15/stephen-colbert-democratic-debate/?utm_
source
=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d67f9f083b-Top_News_10_15_2015&utm_medium=
email&
utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d67f9f083b-85955433
http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/15/stephen-colbert-democratic-debate/?utm_
source
=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=d67f9f083b-Top_News_10_15_2015&utm_medium=
email& utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-d67f9f083b-85955433In a specious move,
the federal government will deny Social Security recipients an
adjusted increase in benefits this coming year. (Photo: 401(K) 2012)
According to an October 15 Associated Press article, the federal
government has decided not to increase benefits this year for Social
Security
recipients:
The government says there will be no benefit increase next year for
millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal
retirees.
It's just the third time in 40 years that benefits will remain flat.
All three times have come since 2010....
The announcement will affect benefits for more than 70 million people
- that's more than one-fifth of the nation's population.
The total includes almost 60 million retirees, disabled workers,
spouses and children who get Social Security benefits.
The government asserts that it made the decision based on the recent
decline in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), an inflationary statistic
calculated by the US Department of Labor. In an October 15 news
release, the Labor Department stated:
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.2
percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all
items index was essentially unchanged before seasonal adjustment. The
energy index fell 4.7 percent in September, with all major component
indexes declining.
The gasoline index continued to fall sharply and was again the main
cause of the seasonally adjusted all items decrease.
However, there is a telling qualifier here - given how significantly
the fall in gas prices affected the calculation of the CPI:
In contrast to the energy declines, the indexes for food and for all
items less food and energy both accelerated in September. The food
index rose 0.4 percent, its largest increase since May 2014. The index
for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in September. The
indexes for shelter, medical care, household furnishings and
operations, and personal care all increased; the indexes for apparel,
used cars and trucks, new vehicles, and airline fares were among those
The 18.4 percent decline in the energy index over the past year offsetpurchasing needs.
increases in the indexes for food (up 1.6 percent) and all items less
food and energy (up 1.9 percent).
In short, given a rational assumption that seniors spend less on gas
than younger people and a greater percentage of their income on food,
medical care, and other expenditures such as shelter - particularly if
an elderly person is living on a fixed income such as Social Security
- they are confronting real inflation on most of their expenses. This
means that the government is speciously denying older Americans in
financial need an adjustment in Social Security that reflects their actual
The needs of seniors are proportioned differently than most Americansneed.
- and the bottom line is that they have experienced reduced spending
power on those items in the last year. They deserve a CPI adjustment
based on the inflationary pressure that they personally experience.
Furthermore - as BuzzFlash at Truthout has repeatedly pointed out -
for years now those persons with small savings accounts have received
virtually no interest from their banks. For example, the Bank of
America lists a "Rewards Money Market Savings Standard Rate" of 0.03
percent on its website.
That is virtually zero in interest that a senior receives on a basic
bank savings account. Adjusted for inflation, seniors with such
savings accounts are actually seeing a decrease in the value of their
bank savings when inflation is factored in. That is because inflation
on food, medical care and rent - for example - far exceeds the pennies
"earned" on thousands of dollars in savings.
The decision by the federal government not to provide an increase in
Social Security benefits this coming year will hurt those elderly most in
Not to be reposted without permission of Truthout.
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