article, which are from right wing hacks, but it puts things nicely in perspective:
Rarely has so much trash been written in such a small space!!!
"Since COLA raises don't include food or gasoline
Utterly false. Food and energy costs are included, and the varying price of gas is largely why there was a huge COLA a few yrs ago and no increase for two subsequent years.
The statement.
ALL the statements about "illegals" getting Social Security retirement benefits: absolutely false. Many pay in, but they can't get benefits even when they do. THEY PAY FOR US!!!
"
My personal Medicare monthly cost rose $55. last year. I'm 70 and my total costs to Medicare have been the $2 a month copay for years."
Garbage! Your Medicare payments didn't go up AT ALL last year unless your income is over $85,000.
"So the rich have to pay more"
False, the "rich" see no increase. They are already paying more. The increases are for other reasons. Read the article!
"I am assisting my 97 year old mother, who is BTW incredibly healthy. . . .Yet, health care providers find they can do things like give her monthly medical check-ups at a cost of $280 each."
Utterly false.
If all they are doing is BP or similar it is at best a Level 1, existing patient visit and Medicare pays nowhere near $280. Check-ups aren't covered anyway.
If you think there's fraud, report it to the Medicare fraud line.
"People really need to examine their annual doctor visit and outpatient cost to determine if they really need part B coverage. . . .. My wife and I however, in our case, were paying a premium of $ 377/mo since we didn't reside in the US for more than 20 years."
Horrible advice. Medical prices in the US can use up tens of $thousands in no time at all.
Medicare fixes prices that can be charged. Without Medicare, you'll pay whatever anybody wants to charge.
Your absence from the US caused a penalty of 10% per year of late registration, but you ought to check back with Medicare. Some foreign national health plans or employer-based health coverage abroad (group health plan) and/or membership in foreign "mutuelle" insurance qualifies for "creditable" coverage and nullifies the penalty. However, this will not be known by the people who answer the phones for Medicare, since they are contractors who basically read the Medicare and You book.
For the definition of a Group Heal Plan, see the official Social Security manual at:
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0600805266.
You might be able to get all your wrongly collected extra premiums back.
"Every president/congress since the SS program began has used the excess SS money for other expenditures."
FALSE, FALSE, FALSE! SSA invests in guaranteed bonds as required by law. These bonds pay good interest and repay principal. They protect Funds from losing huge sums to inflation.
(Just a side note, the fool is not very good at picking stocks either)
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