Bill’s Articles
The Social Security Administration (SSA) on October 13 announced a 3.6% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase starting in January 2027. The COLA will increase the average Social Security payment by roughly $75 to $2,170 a month. The COLA that started in January 2026 was 2.8%. The annual COLA is based on the average percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for…
Your Guide to Navigating Medicare Open Enrollment This Year Are you getting bombarded with TV commercials and a mountain of health insurance advertisements in the mail? You’re not the only one. It’s that time of year again: Medicare open enrollment. During this roughly two-month period, Medicare beneficiaries can compare and adjust their coverage. Private insurance companies aggressively advertise their plans…
NRLN President’s Forum – Urging Enforcement of GIR and SEP Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimates that about 2.9 million Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees will not have their plans renewed for 2027. The NRLN has taken action to in an effort to ensure that retirees whose MA, Medicare supplement (Medigap) and/or Part D drug plans that are ceased or…
Watch for Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) From NOW until September 30, 2026, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare supplement (Medigap) and Medicare Part D (Rx) or stand-alone plan enrollees, will receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter from their insurance companies or company plan administrators notifying them of changes made to their 2026 healthcare insurance policies for plan year starting January 1, 2027. ANOC…
2026 Social Security Trustees’ Report to Congress – Highlights Disability Income (DI) Trust Fund – Can pay full benefits until the year 2100. Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund – Can pay full benefits only until 4Q 2032. After that, revenue would cover only 78% of scheduled benefits unless Congress acts Both Trusts (DI and OASI) combined (can’t be…
AFN Pension Assets Information Timelier The value of the NRLN’s work with the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Help, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) in 2022 appears this year in the Annual Funding Notice being sent to pension plan beneficiaries. The NRLN worked with the committee staff of Washington Senator Patty Murray, at that time Chair of the Committee on HELP.…
NRLN President’s Forum Social Security COLA Will Be 2.8% for 2026 The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Friday, October 24, there would be a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026. SSA normally announces the COLA on October 15 but was delayed due to the federal government shutdown. The COLA increase for January will add about $56 to an average…
Watch for Your Medicare Annual Notice of Change If you have a Medicare Advantage (MA) and/or you purchase your own Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, you should receive an Annual Notices of Change (ANOC) letter or email. DO NOT IGNORE IT. The ANOC provides a detailed summary of all of the changes to your MA plan or Part D plan in…
Enrollment in the privatized Medicare Advantage plans only increased 3.8% overall from February 2024 to February 2025. If enrollment remains at that level throughout 2025, it will be the lowest for MA since 2007, based on an analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). A major reason for the slower growth is that heading into the…
Retirees Cheated: Federal Law And NAIC Regulations Ignored The election is over, the $2,000 prescription drug cap is in place but plan D premiums, deductions, and copays in 2025 may be significantly higher. We will report on details later. We are set to lobby for reinsurance protection for derisked pension plans. Also, we are not confident that attacks on Social…
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