the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Dec 2, 2024
Medicare Part B premiums for most seniors in the U.S. are going up from $174.70 in 2024 to $185 in 2025, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That’s an increase of 5.9%. Yet Social Security benefits will only increase by 2.5%.
This is not unusual, as Medicare Part B premiums have increased by an average of 5.5% per year from 2005 to 2024, while the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits has only gone up by an average of 2.6% per year, according to Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare analyst.
This is also not an accident. It’s because Medicare costs are not included in the way the Social Security Administration calculates inflation, when it determines its yearly COLA.
While it’s true that Medicare premiums are only a portion of what most seniors get from Social Security, it means that Social Security benefits don’t keep pace with inflation.