# Got notification from SSA of my COLA increase



## Marie5656 (Nov 29, 2019)

*I will be getting an extra 1.6% come January.  For me, it is about $10.  Better than nothing, I guess.  I will take it.*


----------



## IrisSenior (Nov 29, 2019)

I have no idea what COLA except maybe a pop!


----------



## Marie5656 (Nov 29, 2019)

IrisSenior said:


> I have no idea what COLA except maybe a pop!


Cost of Living Adjustment.  Think of it as a raise


----------



## OneEyedDiva (Dec 1, 2019)

Got mine too Marie. It was via a message within my SS account.  Gross..mine is $20, net $11.


----------



## Don M. (Dec 1, 2019)

Marie5656 said:


> *I will be getting an extra 1.6% come January.  For me, it is about $10.  Better than nothing, I guess.  I will take it.*



Yes, and Medicare premiums will increase by $9.10 in 2020....so you will have a net gain of $.90 starting in January...spend it wisely.


----------



## gennie (Dec 1, 2019)

Members of Congress as well as other high ranking government officials also get COLAs.  Will their increase be the same percentage as ours?


----------



## old medic (Dec 17, 2019)

Will their increase be the same percentage as ours? 

Yes it is.... just the decimal point is moved....


----------



## Ken N Tx (Dec 17, 2019)

I have yet to receive our notification... ☹


----------



## Aunt Bea (Dec 17, 2019)

Mine arrived yesterday.

My benefits are paid on the second Wednesday of the month, not sure if that makes a difference in when the notification was mailed.


----------



## terry123 (Dec 18, 2019)

Have not got mine yet.


----------



## oldal (Dec 18, 2019)

Got my notice, will be getting $69 increase first of year.


----------



## rkunsaw (Dec 18, 2019)

I just checked mine online. I'll get  $25 more after the increase in medicare is deducted


----------



## Judycat (Dec 18, 2019)

Got mine last week, $12. I'm on the state buy in until the end of May, so I get to keep it. Whoohoo!


----------



## oldmontana (Dec 18, 2019)

$20.10 a month 

Our Medicare Advantage plan is going down from $85 a month to $40 a month.


----------



## Knight (Dec 18, 2019)

Got our notice of increase today, didn't expect much & wasn't disappointed. oldmontana something I didn't know about Medicare Advantage. It's different depending on where you live. Ours has zero cost for Primary & Specialists.


----------



## oldmontana (Dec 19, 2019)

Knight said:


> Got our notice of increase today, didn't expect much & wasn't disappointed. oldmontana something I didn't know about Medicare Advantage. It's different depending on where you live. Ours has zero cost for Primary & Specialists.
> 
> I see that in Montana Humana has a Medicare Advantage plan that has zero costs. Humana also has plans that cost about the same as BC/BS.   Our local agent has both BC/BS and Humana .
> 
> I guess its what you want covered.


----------



## Knight (Dec 19, 2019)

Not sure what you mean about coverage. As an example I had my cervical spine completely rebuilt, rehab for care needed, weeks of therapy meds for pain. Zero cost to me including the hospital charges. Yearly vision check up, & hearing test no charge. Teeth good, two cleanings no cost.  If & that is a big if I ever have an expensive co-pay for something I have an HSA account that has been un-used for over 15 years that the company I worked for pays into in lieu of insurance premiums.  My wife has a separate Soc. Sec. & Medicare acct. & is covered under that HSA . Her Medicare Advantage plan is the same as mine.


----------



## oldmontana (Dec 19, 2019)

Knight said:


> Not sure what you mean about coverage. As an example I had my cervical spine completely rebuilt, rehab for care needed, weeks of therapy meds for pain. Zero cost to me including the hospital charges. Yearly vision check up, & hearing test no charge. Teeth good, two cleanings no cost.  If & that is a big if I ever have an expensive co-pay for something I have an HSA account that has been un-used for over 15 years that the company I worked for pays into in lieu of insurance premiums.  My wife has a separate Soc. Sec. & Medicare acct. & is covered under that HSA . Her Medicare Advantage plan is the same as mine.
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ...


----------



## Knight (Dec 20, 2019)

Medicare Advantage is thru Humana.

The HSA or Health Savings Account for those not Familiar with the acronym.

The payer into the account is a Utility company that contracts with VIA benefits. If I need to submit a claim I fill out a form, mail it to them and usually within two weeks whatever was submitted is directly deposited into our checking account. 

That set up was part of my early retirement package along with a 250k life insurance policy & a hefty pension. Sort of a golden parachute for lesser management. 

Hint 
To reply type in whatever after the quote


----------



## oldmontana (Dec 20, 2019)

Knight said:


> Medicare Advantage is thru Humana.
> 
> The HSA or Health Savings Account for those not Familiar with the acronym.
> 
> ...


OK thanks.  Your plan is not the typical basic Humana plan.


----------



## mathjak107 (Dec 21, 2019)

typically the advantage plans get  close to 10k from medicare to handle  things for you  .. so they love all the dollars they get from medicare to cover users that have little in expenses .

so they keep anything unused .

but the for profit insurer is also in charge of your care . they have final say on your course of treatment , not medicare .

see , the gotcha is  , while they are supposed to cover what not for profit medicare covers , the fact is you don't have gov't medicare . you can never prove what not for profit  medicare would have paid for or allowed in your case  since you don't have it . you have a for profit insurer as your gate keeper which is also pay as you go for many things and it can actually end up costing a lot of money as some have big out of pockets .

we saw this in action first hand ...nothing is ever a problem with an advantage plan until it is a problem and the course of treatment they approve is not what your doctors want .

or get hit with huge co-pays  and out of pockets at year end and have to cough up thousands again .

my buddies wife got breast cancer . he bragged for years about how little he paid on his advantage plan ... then he hit a 4500 dollar out of pocket on chemo towards the years end  , only to have to cough up another 4500 after the new year started . so 9k in payments just for her . his copay's and out of pockets are separate .

needless to say they switched back to medicare at enrollment  , luckily in ny they need no underwriting to switch , but most states require an approval to go back


----------



## Sassycakes (Dec 21, 2019)

My husband and I just got our notice in the mail today and neither of us understand it. We'll have to wait and call the phone number attached and let them explain it to us.


----------



## Ken N Tx (Dec 21, 2019)

Got ours today...The wife and I got $52 combined..


----------



## Catlady (Dec 21, 2019)

I got mine a couple of days ago, $10 net increase after insurance deduction.


----------

