Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Medicare set the 2027 base drug premium at $41.33 and dropped the subsidy that softened it
On July 28, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services set the government’s benchmark for what Part D prescription drug coverage will cost to obtain in 2027, and confirmed that a program which had been softening premium increases since 2025 is going away. The base beneficiary premium for next year will be $41.33, and…
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Providence Health Plan is closing, cutting Medicare Advantage coverage for more than 64,000 members
More than 64,000 Medicare Advantage members across Oregon, Washington and California are about to lose their insurer entirely. Providence Health Plan confirmed in mid-August that a proposed sale of its Medicare Advantage business to another national insurer has fallen apart, meaning the nonprofit is now closing every line of coverage it sells rather than the…
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Aetna will pay brokers nothing on 123 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027 as insurers pull back
A quiet move by one of the biggest Medicare insurers is worth a retiree’s attention. Aetna will pay brokers no commission for signing up new members in 123 of its Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. It sounds like an industry detail, but it is often a signal that a plan is being wound down, and…
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Even in student-loan default, the government cannot cut a Social Security check below $750 a month
Older Americans with defaulted student loans faced an unsettling change when the government restarted collections in 2026: part of a Social Security check can be withheld to repay the debt. But there is a firm limit that protects the most vulnerable. No matter what, the offset cannot cut a monthly benefit below $750, and borrowers…
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Every Medicare plan must mail members a 2027 change notice by September 30
One of the most important pieces of mail a Medicare enrollee gets all year lands around now, and it is easy to toss unread. By September 30, every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan must send each member an Annual Notice of Change spelling out what their coverage and costs will look like next year.…
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Earning above a set limit before full retirement age can temporarily reduce a Social Security check
Retirees who take Social Security early and keep working sometimes get an unwelcome surprise: part of their check disappears. Before full retirement age, earning above an annual limit triggers a reduction in benefits. The good news, and the part people rarely hear, is that the withheld money is not gone forever; it comes back later.…
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Missing Medicare’s sign-up window can bring a lifelong Part B late penalty
Medicare has a trap that can cost people for the rest of their lives, and it catches those who assume signing up can wait. Miss the window to enroll in Part B without having other qualifying coverage, and Medicare adds a late penalty to the monthly premium, permanently. Understanding the timing is the difference between…
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The IRS child tax credit can cut a working family’s tax bill by thousands
For families raising kids, the child tax credit is one of the most valuable lines on a tax return, and because part of it is refundable, it can put money back in a household’s pocket even when little or no tax is owed. Used correctly, it reduces a family’s tax bill by thousands of dollars,…
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The IRS lets most households file free through Direct File and in-person VITA help
Millions of households pay for tax preparation they could get for free. The IRS and its partners offer several no-cost ways to file, from the government’s own online Direct File tool to volunteer sites that prepare returns in person. For a family expecting a modest refund, skipping the preparation fee can mean keeping an extra…
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A secured credit card with a refundable deposit can rebuild damaged credit
For anyone with a thin or damaged credit history, one of the most reliable tools to rebuild is also one of the most misunderstood: the secured credit card. It works like a regular card but is backed by a refundable deposit the cardholder puts down. Used carefully, it reports positive payment history to the credit…
