Have any of you taken advantage of the extra payment on your Social Security Checks? Is this a Myth? A Scam? Harry
This is the first I’ve heard of anything added but no, mine is the same as it has been. Normally, if we get a little raise it isn’t until the end of the year or so. We had four raises with the Trump administration and only 2 in the 8 years of the Obama-Biden administration so I dunno if we should even expect a raise this time under Biden-Harris.
SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, I hear TV personalities exhorting us to call that 800 number and GET that extra S.S. benefit! Haven't any of you seen these commercials? One is that "Dy-No-Mite Guy! Hal
I don't know if the "Give Back Benefit" is a real thing or not. It apparently is only in some states. Social Security is supposed to get a 6.2% raise this year, but food stamps benefits went up 20%. If Medicare doesn't go up and take away the raise....
There IS supposed to be an increase in our SS pensions, maybe as much as 6%, according to one MSN article. However, there is no reason that a person would have to call or do anything special to get the increase; SS just does the COL adjustment each year. Could you be thinking about the stimulus checks that came out earlier this year and last year ? I think that they are still encouraging people who have not received a stimulus check to be sure and verify information so they can get the check. Here is the article about the SS pension increase, which comes in January. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/social-security-checks-may-see-biggest-hike-in-four-decades/
I think @Hal Pollner is referring to the so-called boost to SS associated with Medicare Advantage plans. Maybe some of you know whether that happens in your area or not.
I can see why that would have 24/7 advertisements then, since they would be trying to get people to change their medicare supplement or advantage plans for one that gave them better benefits. I think that the main ones who could benefit are the very low income people. When I qualified for Medicaid, they stopped taking the $100+ out of my SS account each month, and gave me a medicare advantage policy. This was several years back, so the monthly payments were not as high as they are now; but it was still wonderful to save that money. Usually those advertisements say something like “you MAY qualify”; which is misleading if the only people who can save money are low-income people. However, they probably still use this as a lead-in for people to change their Medicare plans.
So, since I am obviously a mental sluggard and cannot comprehend the meaning of your initial question, I beg you please, do enlighten this undeserving waif that I might be the better for it. Edit: or the colloquial version of the request: Whatchu talkin’ bout?
I think Hal’s just honoring a request for more exciting threads. The guy has stumped all of us…..exciting isn’t it? !!
I think that Medicare Advantage Plans are cheaper than the regular plans because they are essentially HMO Plans. Since they cost less, and since premiums are taken out of your Social Security check, a cheaper plan means less premium money is taken from your check, so you get the "Give Back Benefit." I've seen J.J. Walker. I've seen Joe Namath. I've seen the woman who says "With this virus situation, I'm calling to get every benefit I deserve." I'm sick of those commercials. I'm also sick of these idiots talking to me on a smart phone while the majority of the tv screen is empty real estate...just stop it. At least they're not masked. I don't know why not...they are the at-risk demographic, and everyone else on TV commercials seems to be masked. Buncha deniers. These commercials only used to be around during Open Enrollment, and now they are on all the time. I wonder if there's a slug of Boomers set to hit 65 this year. Maybe I need to get satellite TV and stop watching the Over the Air channels.
False advertising @Hal Pollner. They use tricky language making you believe they will help increase your monthly payment, which is true but only because you are paying them more for a medicare secondary plan. Yvonne explained it perfectly. Only low income qualify for free money, but get those thieving vultures on the phone and you can never get rid of them. You can block their calls and they just get a new number. A local agent with a good long reputation will give you the best advice on SS and medicare. Let me be clear ... While will see an increase in your monthly SS payment, you will see a decrease in your checking account balance. Only the poor will get a pass on the checking account deduction but they will also have to go on Medicaid (welfare). It is the old rope-a-dope trick. I didn't fall for it for a minute as my local agent that was able to get me the lowest cost medicare plan with best benefits, says any real increase in your SS monthly payment comes automatically requiring no effort on your part and anything else is a clever and legal marketing scheme to once again rob seniors of everything they can. In my way of thinking a SCAM!