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Medicare Part D
Trends
- 1Medicare Advantage Plan Cancellations Could Limit Your Options This Fall●You May Get Two Envelopes From Your Insurer This Fall. One Says Your Plan Changed. One Says It's Gone. Only the Second One Comes With a Medigap Right
Millions of Medicare Advantage and Part D plan holders could receive two letters from insurers this fall: one announcing plan changes for the coming year, and another confirming their plan is being discontinued. Policy experts note that only enrollees whose plans are cancelled get a guaranteed issue right to buy a Medigap supplemental policy without medical underwriting, making the second letter far more consequential than it looks.
- 2Refinery retiree's badly timed house sale raised his Medicare bills▼He Retired From the Refinery on December 31. Closing on the House Two Days Earlier Put the Gain on His Last Full Salary and Raised Both Medicare Bills
An oil refinery worker retired on December 31, but closed on the sale of his house two days earlier, meaning the capital gain landed on his final full year of salary income. Because Medicare surcharges (IRMAA) are calculated from income two years prior, the spike raised both his Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. The story is being shared as a cautionary example of how year-end timing of a big sale can quietly inflate retirement healthcare costs.
- 3Working fewer hours at 66? Medicare premiums may not follow▼She Is Going Part-Time at 66. Half the Hours, Half the Pay, and a 2027 Medicare Premium Priced on the Full Salary Until She Tells Social Security in Writing
A 66-year-old worker cutting back to part-time faces an unexpected catch: Medicare income-related premiums for 2027 will be set on her current full salary unless she formally notifies Social Security in writing of the income drop. The story highlights how life-changing events such as reduced work hours require documentation to lower Part B and Part D surcharges, and it is being shared as a warning for near-retirees about the paperwork needed to avoid overpaying premiums.
- 4Ten Things to Know About Medicare Part D Plans▼10 Things You Should Know About Medicare Part D Plans
Kiplinger has published a guide laying out ten key points about Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. The piece walks readers through the basics of how the plans work, enrollment considerations and costs. It lands during the period when many Americans review their coverage options, with prescription drug costs a persistent concern for older adults and their families.
- 5Retired Ironworker Faces Steep Medicare Surcharges on Final $180,000 Year▼He Retired From Ironwork in June. Medicare’s 2027 Letter Will Price Him on the $180,000 He Earned During His Last Overtime Year
An ironworker who retired in June is learning that Medicare will base his 2027 income-adjusted premiums on his final working year, when overtime pushed his earnings to about $180,000. The case highlights how income-related monthly adjustment amounts are calculated from tax returns from two years earlier, catching new retirees off guard with higher Part B and Part D surcharges.