Pauline Kana went to a country concert in Texas at 99, and the crowd picked her up and passed her over their heads. Guinness World Records now lists her as the oldest person ever to crowd surf. We have no advice to add to that.
Now, your money. Your Social Security raise for 2027 is 3.6 percent. On a $2,000 check that is about $72 more a month, before Medicare takes its share.
Today, in 5 minutes: your raise in dollars · the Medicare switch that is hard to undo · flu is picking up early · four dates · and the richest age group in America (75 and older).
Did someone forward this to you? Get The Senior Road free every week.
The Big Story
The raise is set by a formula in the law, from the government's inflation numbers for July, August and September. The September number came out this morning, and it puts the raise at 3.6 percent, starting with your January check (SSI payments get it December 31). Social Security confirmed the 3.6 percent later that morning. Last year's raise was 2.8 percent.
In dollars, each month:
On a $1,500 check: about $54 more.
On a $2,000 check: about $72 more.
Your own: multiply your monthly benefit, before Medicare is taken out, by 0.036.
The catch. Most people have their Medicare Part B premium taken out of that check, and the 2027 premium is not out yet. This year it is $202.90 a month. Last year Medicare announced the new one in mid-November. Until then, nobody can tell you what you will actually keep, and anyone who does is guessing. We'll give you the real figure the week it comes out.
About that $90. Medicare's one-time $90 payment for people on Original Medicare Part B went out by direct deposit around October 8 for most people; paper checks from the U.S. Treasury come later in October. It does not go to people in Medicare Advantage plans, people whose premium Medicaid pays, people who pay the higher-income surcharge (IRMAA), or people living outside the U.S. It comes automatically, so a call or text about "releasing" your $90 is a scam. Expected a deposit and it hasn't come? Medicare says to call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, starting tomorrow, October 15.
MEDICARE
Thinking of leaving your Medicare Advantage plan? Make one call first.
You can change Medicare plans from tomorrow, October 15, through December 7.
The catch: most people who go back to Original Medicare want a Medigap policy to help pay its deductibles. In most states, an insurer can turn you down for one because of your health.
How common is that? KFF, a health research group, found this week that 74 percent of people in Medicare Advantage plans had a health condition that could get them refused.
The call: your state has free Medicare counselors. Find yours at shiphelp.org and ask: "If I leave my plan, can I be turned down for Medigap in this state?"
You can skip the worry if you live in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts or New York. KFF says those states make insurers sell to anyone 65 and older.
Happy with your plan? Check two things for 2027: your doctors are still in it, and your medicines are still covered.
Our 17-minute video has the rest: what to check by December 7.
On Your Radar
Flu is picking up early. About 3.6 percent of flu tests came back positive in the week ending October 3, up from 0.5 percent a year earlier. The CDC says that is still low, but higher than usual for now, and that the ideal time for your shot is by the end of October.
The richest age group in America is 75 and older. The Federal Reserve's new survey puts the typical net worth of households headed by someone 75 or older near $505,000, up 37 percent in three years after inflation. Bring that to Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving flights are cheapest about now. Google says the lowest fares come about 34 days ahead, which is next week. Hopper's tip: fly home Monday or Tuesday, not Sunday, November 29. And if you have no REAL ID or passport, the TSA now charges a $45 fee. Pay it online before you leave home; it does not guarantee you get through security.
A gold trophy on nursing-home listings. Medicare now marks 1,699 nursing homes "high performing," which lets them have a shorter yearly inspection. Consumer Voice, a group that speaks for residents, counted 478 of them that had gone more than a year without a standard inspection. Ask any home: "When was your last full inspection?" A good answer is within the last 15 months, the longest federal rules allow.
Your heating bill depends on your fuel. The government's energy forecasters expect homes that heat with oil to spend 21 percent more this winter. Electric heat: about 4 percent more. Natural gas: 9 percent less. Propane: 3 percent less. These are national averages.
Amazon is sending Prime refunds, and you don't have to ask. On October 1, Amazon began sending automatic payments to more Prime members under its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. There is no form to fill out. No one from Amazon will ask you for money to get one.
YOUR MONEY DATES
October 28: if you keep savings bonds online at TreasuryDirect, set up the new login by then.
Mid-November (if Medicare keeps last year's timing): the 2027 Part B premium.
December 7: last day to change Medicare plans.
January: the raise shows up in your check.
Slice of Life
Crowd surfing at 99
Back to Pauline Kana. The concert was Brantley Gilbert's, in Bellville, Texas, and she was 99 years and 274 days old. She has since turned 100, and she told the story herself in The Guardian last week.
Know someone who says they're too old for something? Forward this with one line: "She was 99."
A follow-up we owe you. Earlier this month we told you about Linda Ashmore, 79, at the Ironman in Hawaii. The official results show she finished the swim and the bike ride and did not finish the run.
And look up. The Orionid meteors, bits of Halley's Comet, peak next Wednesday night into Thursday. NASA says the Moon will be bright, so the best view is before dawn, after it sets.
Until next week,
The Senior Road
P.S. One word: what will your raise go to? Groceries, the heating bill, a grandchild, something fun? Hit reply. We read every one, and we'll tell you next week what people said.
Sources: The government's September inflation numbers (BLS) · Medicare on the $90 payment · Medicare's $90 questions and answers · KFF on Medigap and Medicare Advantage · Consumer Voice on the nursing-home list · Google on holiday fares · TSA on REAL ID · EIA winter outlook · FTC on Amazon Prime refunds · TreasuryDirect · Pauline Kana in The Guardian · Ironman results · NASA skywatching, October
