Social Security beneficiaries are facing significant financial challenges in 2026 due to a modest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) being overshadowed by substantial increases in Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles, leading to a net decrease in disposable income for many.
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2.8% 9.6 and 10.1% increases along with
the major impacts from millions upon
millions of social security
beneficiaries as it all starts right
now. I want you to be very aware of this
because unfortunately I think a lot of
people out there are not aware of this
and it's going to impact your money,
your benefits, your finances as well as
your monthly benefit from social
security in a major major major way
starting now. And I'm not just talking
about a few dollars here or there. I'm
talking about significant changes that
are going to affect how much money you
actually have left over at the end of
every single month. And if you're on a
fixed income, if you're living on social
security, if you're trying to make ends
meet month after month, these changes
are absolutely critical for you to
understand. And I want to talk you
through the details because a lot of
things are changing as of 2026. And
these are a few more on our list. So you
can be very prepared and I think we're
going to have another very very very
interesting year upon us. You know,
every year I think to myself, okay,
maybe this year will be a little bit
calmer. Maybe this year there won't be
quite as many changes. But no, here we
are again with a whole bunch of new
adjustments, new increases, new things
to keep track of. And of course, I'll be
here for you by your side every single
day as this new information is hitting
the wire. That's my commitment to you.
I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be
here breaking down every single change,
every single update, every single piece
of news that could possibly affect your
benefits. Anyway, let's talk about the
details of these three percentages that
I just threw out there for you right now
and what you need to know about this.
And again, it's going to impact your
monthly benefit in a massive way. And uh
I don't use the word massive lightly. I
really mean it. These changes are
substantial and they're going to be felt
by tens of millions of Americans all
across the country. So whether you're
already receiving social security,
whether you're about to start receiving
it or whether you're just planning ahead
for the future, you need to understand
what's happening here. All right. So
let's first off talking about in order
here that I presented them just a minute
ago. Obviously the 2.8% I think you know
what that is, but it is on my list here.
So, I'm going to mention it super fast
because I know I've talked about this
before. I know you've probably heard
about this from other sources, but it's
important that we start here because
this is the baseline. This is what
everything else is measured against.
Yes, the 2.8% cola. Yes, that happens to
be the smallest of all the percentages
here. Huge shock, right? I mean, isn't
it funny how that works? the COLA, the
cost of living adjustment, the thing
that's supposed to help you keep up with
inflation, that's the smallest number,
but the other numbers, the numbers where
they're taking money from you, oh, those
are much bigger. Interesting how that
always seems to work out, isn't it? But
anyway, yes, that goes into effect right
here, right now. The 2.8% cola impacting
about 75 million beneficiaries and their
monthly benefits. And when I say 75
million, I want you to really think
about that for a second. That's not a
small number. That's 75 million people,
75 million families, 75 million
Americans who are counting on this cost
of living adjustment to help them pay
their bills, to help them afford their
groceries, to help them keep up with
rising costs. And 2.8% is what they're
getting. Now, is that enough? Well,
we'll talk about that in a minute when
we get to the other numbers. Again, all
beneficiaries. I get this question all
the time is who's going to be included
for that? Who qualifies for the COLA?
Who gets this increase? Everybody.
Literally every single person that gets
a benefit from Social Security,
including VA and RRB. Yep. Everybody out
there. Again, nearly 100 million people
when you add it all up. Actually, about
75 million people from Social Security
specifically. And then again a few
million other people from other benefits
as well like veterans benefits, railroad
retirement benefits, supplemental
security income, all of those programs.
That's the 2.8%.
Obviously, you know about that. That was
announced a couple months ago back in
October when the consumer price index
numbers came out and they calculated
what the cola was going to be, but it
was on my list and I wanted to point it
out. Okay? So, you should already know
what that's going to be for you and your
monthly benefit. You should have already
done the math. You should have already
figured out, okay, if I'm getting X
amount of dollars per month, 2.8%
increase means I'm getting Y amount
more. And for a lot of people, that 2.8%
might work out to, I don't know, maybe
$50, maybe $60, maybe $70 a month,
depending on what your benefit is. For
some people, it might be less. For some
people, it might be more. But that's
roughly what we're looking at with a
2.8% cost of living adjustment. But
let's talk about the other major ones
that we need to pay attention to. And
this is where things get really
interesting. This is where things get a
little bit frustrating, a little bit
annoying, and honestly a little bit
infuriating when you really sit down and
think about what's happening here. The 9.6%.
9.6%.
What is this one? What am I talking
about with 9.6%.
This one is now the new Medicare Part B
premium increase for 2026. And right
away, do you see the problem here? The
COLA is 2.8%.
The Medicare premium increase is 9.6%.
Does that math work? Does that make
sense? No, it doesn't. It doesn't make
sense at all. Okay, we talked about this
a little bit in the middle of November
and the middle of December when this
information was released in the middle
of November. I was out with you with
information at that time pointing out
that hey, this was just announced and
it's not quite as bad as they originally
proposed because originally when they
first floated the numbers, they were
talking about an even bigger increase.
So, I guess we're supposed to be
grateful that it's only 9.6%.
I don't know. That's what they want us
to think anyway. But, nonetheless, it
still is a massive, massive increase.
Remember, we got a 2.8% 8% cola. They're
raising the premium by 9.6%. Wow. Figure
that one out, right? Figure that out. I
mean, how does that work exactly? You're
getting a 2.8% raise and they're taking
9.6% more from you. So, you're actually
losing ground. You're actually worse off
than you were before. That's the reality
of the situation. Interesting how that
works. But anyway, so here's what it is.
Let me break down the actual dollar
amounts because the percentages are one
thing, but when you see the actual
dollars, that's when it really hits
home. The Medicare PartB premium is
going up by $17.90 from 2025 through
2026. Okay, $17.90 a month or 9.6% is
how much that's increasing. Now, $17.90
might not sound like a ton of money when
I just say it like that, but think about
it over the course of a year. That's
over $200 a year. That's $200 that could
have gone to groceries, that could have
gone to utilities, that could have gone
to gas, that could have gone to your
grandkids. But instead, it's going to
Medicare premiums. Okay? So, in 2025,
remember, it was $185 a month is the
Medicare Part B premium. That's what it
was last year. However, for 2026, right
here, right now, it is now $22.90
a month. $17.90
more per month that they're going to ask
and take. Well, I was going to say
they're going to ask. No, they're not
going to ask. They're going to take
they're going to take they're not going
to ask you. They're not going to write
you a letter and say, "Dear valued
beneficiary, would it be okay with you
if we took a little bit more money out
of your check this month?" They're not
going to call you. They're not going to
text you. They're not going to send you
an email. They're not going to say,
"Hey, can we please take another $179.90
out of your check?" No, they don't even
ask. They just take it. They just
automatically deduct it. That's the
worst part about this. They don't even
ask. They just take with their greasy,
sticky fingers. They just take it right
out of your benefit. Anyway, just be
prepared for that. Obviously, you can
tell how much I love it, right? Nada. I
don't love it at all. I think it's very
annoying. I think it's frustrating. I
think it's unfair and I think a lot of
you watching this right now feel the
same way. But anyway, that's right here,
right now. So, please be very aware of
that. That is the 9.6%
increase of how much it went up from
last year 2025 to now from 185 to 202.
That's the new number you need to
remember. 2290 is your Medicare Part B
premium for 2026. So, when you get your
social security checks, the first couple
payments you get here for 2026, you
might be thinking, "Hey, this doesn't
look right." Right? You might look at
your bank account. You might look at
your direct deposit and you might think,
"Wait a minute. I was supposed to get a
raise. I was supposed to get a COLA.
Where's my extra money? I don't think
they paid me the COLA." Oh, they did.
Yeah, they're paying you the COLA. They
absolutely are paying you the cost of
living adjustment. the Medicare Part B
premium is taking most of it from you.
That is the problem. That's the whole
issue right there in a nutshell. Let me
give you an example so this makes more
sense. Let's say you're getting $2,000 a
month in Social Security. A 2.8%
increase on $2,000 is 566. So you're
getting $56 more per month. But wait,
your Medicare premium just went up by
$17.90 per month. So out of that $56
increase, you're losing $179.90
immediately to the Medicare premium
increase. So your net increase, the
amount of money you actually get to keep
is only 38 out of 10, not 56x, but 38
out 10. You just lost almost a third of
your COLA to the Medicare premium
increase. And that's assuming you don't
have any other increases, which we'll
talk about in a second. Okay, that's
that. Now, let's talk about the 10.1%
really quickly here. And yes, there's
another increase because why would there
be just one increase when they can hit
you with multiple increases all at the
same time? This is the Medicare Part B
deductible. Yeah, the deductible as
well. They're asking for more money out
of you. So, it's not just the monthly
premium that's going up. The deductible
is going up, too. So, in 2025, it was
$257 was the deductible. That's the
amount you have to pay out of pocket
before Medicare starts covering your
part B expenses. It's now $283.
It went up by $26 or 10.1% again. Right?
Look at that percentage. 10.1%. The colo
was 2.8%. The Medicare premium went up
9.6%. The deductible went up 10.1%. Do
you see a pattern here? Everything is
going up faster than your social
security benefit. That's what's
happening. So there you go. That's what
that is. So as you use your Medicare
Part B coverages, as you go to the
doctor, as you get medical services, as
you need care, just recognize you're
going to be on the hook for that 283 ya
of the deductible upfront as well. Okay?
So just be aware of that. And uh again,
it's $26 more for the entire year. Now,
you might be thinking, okay, $26 for the
whole year. That's not too bad. That's
only like $2 a month, but nonetheless,
it's another $26 that you know, you got
to come out of pocket for to pay that
deductible along with the premium of
$17.90 a month on top of that. So, all
in all, let me do the math for you here.
17.90 a month. That's about what is the
math on that? Let's see. 1790* 12 months
uh 2 and480. Let's call it $215
roughly more per year. $215 per year
just in premium increases plus the $26
deductible increase. So what is that?
$241 more that they're asking from you
for what? Nothing. A whole lot of
nothing is what you get from that.
You're not getting better coverage.
You're not getting more services. You're
not getting faster service. You're not
getting anything extra for that money.
They're just charging you more for the
same thing you had last year. But that's
what they're going to ask from you. Oh,
and by the way, they're going to raise
your benefit by 2.8. 8%. Yeah. So,
figure that out, right? Let me do that
math for you. If you're getting $2,000 a
month, that's $24,000 a year. A 2.8%
increase on $24,000 is $672 for the
year, but you're paying $241 more in
Medicare cost. So, your net increase is
really only $430.
You're losing over a third of your COLA
just to Medicare. And that's not even
counting if your metagap premium went
up, if your Part D premium went up, if
your other health care costs went up.
This is just part B. But maybe by the
end of the year, you might maybe if
you're lucky, you may break even based
on the 2.8% COLA and how much they've
raised the deductible and the premium.
You might actually break even at the end
of the year. We'll see about that. But
either way, I want you to be very aware
of this because I think we all recognize
every single dollar counts right now.
And if you're living on a fixed income,
if you're trying to make your social
security check stretch from one month to
the next, if you're trying to figure out
how to pay for everything, every single
dollar absolutely matters. And this, if
you're somebody that plans and you look
at your budget and you look at your
monthly benefit that comes in and your
monthly expenditures and things like
that, you need to be aware of this
because at the end of the day, it's a
bunch of extra money on a percentage
basis coming out of your monthly benefit
check that you know you're going to have
to pay out that's going to be coming
right out of your benefit. It's not
optional. You can't say no. You can't
opt out. You have to have Medicare Part
B if you want to keep your Medicare
coverage. And if you have Medicare Part
B, you have to pay the premium. There's
no choice in the matter. So, it's going
to impact your money, your benefits,
your finances. As I mentioned earlier,
just want you to be very aware of this.
It's all fully in effect as of now.
Yeah. Thank you very much. Right. Not I
mean, happy new year, right? Happy 2026.
Here's your cola increase. And oh, by
the way, here's a bunch of increases
that are going to eat up most of that
cola. That's basically what just
happened. That's what we're dealing with
right here in January 2026. Anyway, just
want you to be aware of all this stuff.
And again, I'm here for you in any way
that I possibly can be. I want you to
know that. I want you to understand that
I'm not just making these videos to make
videos. I'm making these videos because
I genuinely care about what's happening
to Social Security beneficiaries, to
Medicare beneficiaries, to seniors, to
people on fixed incomes. I see what's
happening. I see the struggles. I see
the challenges. And I want to make sure
you have the information you need to
navigate all of this. Remember, I'm on
your team. I'm here to advocate for you.
I'm here to represent for you. I'm here
to do whatever I can for you right now.
I get it. It's a rough time out there.
Costs are going up on everything.
Groceries are more expensive. Gas is
more expensive. Utilities are more
expensive. Housing costs are more
expensive. Everything is more expensive.
And meanwhile, your social security
benefit is going up by 2.8%.
Which doesn't even come close to
covering all of those increases. Got to
stick together. That's what we have to
do. We have to support each other. We
have to share information with each
other. We have to make sure that
everyone understands what's happening
and what their rights are and what their
options are. And that's what I'm trying
to do here with this channel. I'm trying
to create a community where we can all
support each other and help each other
get through this. And again, I imagine
2026 is going to be another very busy,
chaotic year like 2025 was. I mean,
think about everything that happened in
2025. We had debates about Social
Security reform. We had debates about
Medicare reform. We had debates about
the debt ceiling. We had debates about
government funding. We had debates about
everything. And I expect 2026 is going
to be more of the same, maybe even more
intense because we have midterm
elections coming up. So stay tuned. I'll
be here for you every step of the way,
bringing you every update, every piece
of news, every change that you need to
know about. That's my commitment to you.
I'll be here for you as much as I
possibly can be. I'll keep making these
videos. I'll keep breaking down the
information. I'll keep making it as
clear and understandable as possible so
that you know exactly what's happening
and how it affects you. Now, let me give
you a few more details about what you
should be looking for in your Social
Security check and your Medicare
statements over the next few weeks.
First of all, if you're already
receiving Social Security, you should
have received a notice from the Social
Security Administration telling you what
your new benefit amount is going to be
for 2026. That notice should have been
mailed out in December. If you didn't
get that notice, you can always check
online. You can go to ssa.gov. You can
create a My Social Security account if
you don't already have one, and you can
see exactly what your new benefit amount
is. Second, you should also receive a
notice from Medicare about your new part
B premium. Now, for most people, this is
automatic. If you're already having your
Medicare premium deducted from your
Social Security check, they'll just
automatically start deducting the new
amount. You don't have to do anything.
It just happens. But you should get a
notice telling you that this is
happening. If you don't get that notice,
again, you can check online or you can
call Medicare at 1 800 Medicare. Third,
keep an eye on your first few Social
Security payments of the year. Make sure
the amounts look right. Make sure they
match what the Social Security
Administration told you they were going
to be. Sometimes there are errors.
Sometimes things get messed up. It
doesn't happen often, but it does
happen. And if you notice something that
doesn't look right, you need to contact
the Social Security Administration right
away and get it straightened out.
Fourth, if you're on Medicare Advantage
or if you have a Part D prescription
drug plan, your premiums for those plans
might have changed, too. The Medicare
Part B premium is what we've been
talking about. But if you have
additional Medicare coverage through a
private insurance company, those
premiums could have gone up as well. So,
make sure you check all of your
insurance statements and make sure you
know what you're paying for everything.
Fifth, this is a good time to review
your overall Medicare coverage and make
sure you're in the right plan. Every
year during the fall, there's an open
enrollment period where you can change
your Medicare coverage. But a lot of
people don't take advantage of that.
They just stay in the same plan year
after year after year, even if it's not
the best plan for them anymore. So, if
you didn't review your Medicare coverage
during the last open enrollment period,
make a note to yourself to do it during
the next one in the fall of 2026. And
sixth, if you're struggling to pay for
your Medicare premiums, there are
programs that might be able to help you.
There are Medicare savings programs that
can help low-income individuals pay for
their Medicare premiums, deductibles,
and co-pays. There's also the extra help
program that can help with Part D
prescription drug costs. Not everyone
qualifies for these programs, but if
you're having trouble making ends meet,
it's worth looking into to see if you
might be eligible. Now, I want to talk
for a minute about what all of this
means in the bigger picture. Because
yes, we're talking about a 2.8% COLA and
a 9.6% Medicare premium increase and a
10.1% deductible increase. And those are
the numbers we have to deal with right
now in 2026. But this is part of a
larger trend that's been happening for
years. Medicare costs have been rising
faster than Social Security COLA for a
long time. This isn't new. This has been
going on for years and years and years.
And the result is that Social Security
beneficiaries are slowly losing
purchasing power over time. Even with
the annual cost of living adjustments,
even with the raises that are supposed
to keep up with inflation, the reality
is that Medicare and other health care
costs are eating up more and more of
people's social security checks. And
that's a real problem. That's something
that policymakers need to address.
That's something that Congress needs to
address. But in the meantime, we have to
deal with the reality of the situation
as it is right now. And the reality is
that your Social Security check in 2026
is going to be a little bit bigger
because of the COLA, but a lot of that
increase is going to be eaten up by
higher Medicare costs. That's just the
way it is. I wish I had better news for
you. I wish I could tell you that your
Social Security check is going up by 10%
and your Medicare costs are staying the
same. But that's not reality. Reality is
a 2.8% COLA and a 9.6% 6% Medicare
premium increase. So, what can you do
about this? Well, unfortunately, there's
not a whole lot you can do about the
Medicare premium increase if you want to
keep your Medicare Part B coverage. You
have to pay the premium. That's just how
it works. But, uh, there are some things
you can do to try to manage your overall
health care costs. You can shop around
for the best Part D prescription drug
plan. You can look for generic
medications instead of brandame
medications. You can ask your doctor if
there are lowerc cost alternatives for
your medications. You can use mail
orderies which sometimes offer lower
prices. You can take advantage of
preventive care services that are
covered by Medicare at no cost to you.
And beyond health care costs, you can
look for ways to reduce your other
expenses as well. You can look for
senior discounts on things like
groceries, restaurants, entertainment.
You can look into programs that help
with utility costs or property taxes.
You can look into downsizing your
housing if that makes sense for your
situation. You can look for ways to earn
some extra income if you're able to work
part-time. There are a lot of different
strategies you can use to try to make
your money go further. But at the end of
the day, the fundamental issue is that
Social Security benefits are not keeping
pace with the actual cost of living for
seniors. The COLA formula is based on
the consumer price index for urban wage
earners and clerical workers, which
doesn't necessarily reflect the spending
patterns of seniors. Seniors spend a
much higher percentage of their income
on health care than the general
population does. And health care costs
are rising faster than the overall
inflation rate. So the cola that seniors
get doesn't really keep up with the
costs that seniors are actually facing.
There have been proposals over the years
to change the COLA formula to use a
different index that better reflects
senior spending patterns. There's
something called the CPIE, the consumer
price index for the elderly that tracks
inflation specifically for seniors. If
Social Security used that index instead
of the current index, seniors would
probably get higher COLA. But Congress
hasn't made that change. It's been
proposed many times, but it hasn't been
enacted. So, in the meantime, we're
stuck with the current system. And the
current system gives us a 2.8% COLA for
2026 and a 9.6% Medicare premium
increase and a 10.1% deductible
increase. And that's what we have to
work with. That's the hand we've been
dealt and we have to figure out how to
make the best of it. I know this isn't
the most uplifting message. I know this
isn't the kind of news that makes you
feel great, but I think it's important
that you understand exactly what's
happening. I think it's important that
you have the facts. I think it's
important that you know what to expect
so you can plan accordingly. And that's
what I'm trying to provide here. I'm
trying to give you the information you
need so you're not surprised, so you're
not caught off guard. So you know
exactly what's coming and you can
prepare for it. So here's what I want
you to do. First, check your Social
Security statement and make sure you
know exactly what your new benefit
amount is for 2026.
Second, check your Medicare statements
and make sure you know what you're
paying for Medicare. Third, sit down and
do a budget. Figure out exactly what
your income is and what your expenses
are and make sure everything balances.
And if it doesn't balance, figure out
where you can make adjustments. Fourth,
if you're struggling, look into programs
that might be able to help you. There
are resources out there. You just have
to know where to look. And you have to
be willing to ask for help. And fifth,
stay informed. Keep watching videos like
this. Keep reading articles about Social
Security and Medicare. Keep up with
what's happening in Washington because
things are always changing and you need
to stay on top of it. And I'll be here
to help you do that. I'll keep making
these videos. I'll keep bringing you the
latest news and updates. I'll keep
breaking down what it all means in plain
English so you can understand it. All
right, that's everything I wanted to
cover today. I hope this was helpful. I
hope this gave you a clear understanding
of what's happening with Social Security
and Medicare in 2026. If you found this
video helpful, please give it a thumbs
up. Please share it with your friends
and family who might benefit from this
information, and please subscribe to the
channel if you haven't already so you
don't miss any future updates. I've got
a lot more content coming your way in
2026, and I don't want you to miss any
of it. Thanks for watching. Take care of
yourself. And remember, I'm here for
you. We're all in this together. Stay tuned.
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