Generosity Begins at Home
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
With the year coming to an end and the holidays upon us, I want to wish you and your family a healthy and safe holiday season.
This is a time of reflection for all of us. A time to embrace the season’s spirit of generosity and selflessness. We like to give to our loved ones and let them know how much we care. This year, while you do that, don’t forget to also show some love and generosity to yourself.
You worked hard all year. What happens if you get injured or become ill? Are you covered? No one likes to think about injuries or diseases but we must be prepared.
This holiday season give yourself the gift of quality, affordable healthcare. At Social Security, we believe that access to quality healthcare has a positive effect on health outcomes. Being prepared — by having coverage — is a major part of a healthier future.ghe
You should be covered, especially if you have a disability. Some people who apply for Social Security disability benefits may not have access to healthcare, which negatively affects their health and well-being. A good healthcare plan can provide you with the medical care you need until we make a decision on your claim. The good news is you can be considered for healthcare coverage even if you have a pre-existing condition.
If you or someone you know is not covered, please apply for health coverage now and get the care you need. I encourage you to visit healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for more information.
Here’s to a happy, healthy holiday season for you and your loved ones. Let’s end the year on a high note. Be prepared. Be proactive. Apply for affordable healthcare today!
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Tags: Affordable Care Act, Disability
See CommentsAbout the Author
Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security
Acting Commissioner of Social Security (February 14, 2013 - January 20, 2017)
Comments
Comments are closed.
Ken S.
My wife’s and my increase in our Social Security benefit was $7.30. Our increase in Medicare medical insurance was exactly $7.30. Such a coincidence! Thus another year without a cost of living increase! Oh that our gracious government would not have used “our” savings to spend at their will. Now you see why we have asked (voted for) a new President who really cares. AND knows how to use a budget.
Mousielove
Oh, gee. A whole THREE DOLLARS! I can buy a Christmas greeting card….oh wait, no I can’t – not enough money. Happy holidays from Social Security? More like BAH HUMBUG from our gutless and clueless politicians.
myrtle
no raise this year since you raised my deductible. I would like to see you live on seven hundred dollars a month. I have worked to jobs all my life. I was self-employed meaning i had to pay the whole shot, and nothing to show for it.
Eddy P.
Thank you for your kind wishes. Merry Christmas and a very prosperous, safe and loving New Years to all of you.
A.C.
You’re welcome, Eddy. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you, too. Thank you for your support!
ALTAGRACIA C.
Merry Christmas and Happy New 2017 for all that work in Social Security.
A.C.
Thank you, Altagracia. Happy Holidays to you as well.
Rudy
I am greatful for my benefits but it is no where near what I was making and medication keeps going up in price. Please look into raising benefits to those who really deserve it. I’ve worked since the 7th grade and over 25 yrs until my injury. I’m not making it , just can’t get ahead . Please raise the benefits for the injured.
FRANK C.
Rudy: All of us could really use/would greatly benefit if we would just receive some increased $$ and Much-Lower Prescription prices!! I agree! I mean Medicare D is a cruel joke!
BUT– it/improvements are not going to happen, no mater who is President, and certainly not as long as we American Voters keep Voting for the same Congress over and over and over! Because during the past 26 years, Congress {and all the Presidents starting with Pres. George H.W. Bush} doomed all of us to the Terrible Financial condition we are in today by running our National Debt to over $19,000,000,000,000.00 {that’s Nineteen Trillion Dollars} – an amount that can Never be paid back! Congress’ worst Crime has been letting the current President add over $14 Trillion to that National Debt {which was approximately $6 Billion in 1988}!! I hate to be the bearer of bad news so close to Christmas, but I know & understand Economics. And I realize that most Americans see no relationship or connection between the Economic mess we are all in and the size of our National Debt! The only positive is that FINALLY enough Americans wised-up and voted into Office a President who is NOT another crooked, criminal Politician– for the first time in our History!
If anyone can put a dent into our $19 Trillion National Deb {because He knows that it must be reduced to save our Nation, AND He knows how} it is He! If He can accomplish that to any degree, S.S. will be saved! And the U.S.A. would then
be able to increase S.S. benefits.
AKA
A favorite tactic of the left is to lump several of the past administrations together when complaining about the massive debt. It hides the fact that the current administration doubled the debt or added as much debt as all the prior administrations put together. Getting us out of debt would do nothing to solve the manufactured trust fund shortfalls.
Marc P.
False. The debt actually went DOWN under the current administration, as did Medicare costs and health care costs paid out by government programs in general due to the quality control provisions of the ACA. As I told the previous poster, why not do a little research at the SOURCE instead of just going on websites with false information you “heard” from nefarious sources and complaining? If Americans weren’t so lazy they’d have had the knowledge and understanding to see when they had it good instead of throwing us all under the bus.
BDCompton
You obviously have problems accepting facts, The National dept. has increased annually for the last 8 years.
Julie
You obviously don’t remember them taking Social Security monies paid in by the person or family that should receive it. This is not a borrow fund which is exactly what the House did.
Carlo N.
Happy holidays to All the staff Administrator
Martha P.
Although I don’t qualify for benefits, I am still grateful to the staff, at the Portland, Oregon district branch, for educating me about how the application process works. It’s good to know that there are folks who care, and I didn’t feel like another government statistic, either. I am very worried about the new incoming Trump administration, because I don’t want them to reduce Medicare, or Social Security benefits, for future retirees like ME. Thanks again for all that you do!
AKA
Showing that you are worried about cutbacks that were never suggested is another example of the left’s propaganda machine never stopping. And you now think you know how the system works? Goodie for you.
Marc P.
Wrong. The House just introduced a bill the day before they went on Christmas break that will DRASTICALLY cut Social Security for current beneficiaries, raise the retirement age to 69, and reduce the earnings cap again, meaning the wealthy once again won’t be contributing
Why don’t you go to the congressional website and read the text of the bill for yourself? Very easy to find, take a little “personal responsibility” like the Republicans are always telling us to do.
Ice
Why always, always. always blame the Left?
alice m.
tysm Carolyn colvin for this merry Christmas and happy new to ya and you’re family and friends
Harlan H.
But not at Social Security. Zero increase in benefits this year.
Kori S.
I have to agree with that one! After two years in a row of NO COST OF LIVING INCREASE, and finally getting one, thanks for the governments sincere generosity, I just don’t know where to begin on how I will be able to use this huge $4.00 increase! I already can’t afford food and I just make so much that food stamps are out of the question! I was never one to even consider using them because I’ve worked my whole life since I was 12 yrs old and was tax paying citizen the whole time until I became disabled. That alone is a real hard pill to swallow when you have been working full time and sometimes two jobs just to provide for my children and hopes that they would have a great future. In today’s World, I’m really actually feeling pretty bad for them and their futures! So much for World Peace.
Doni Y.
For me and my wife total increase in SS benefits should be $3.54 (0.3%), but we will have $3.0 increase from 01/01/2017. But the Dept. of Children and Families reduced Food Stamps amount for $1.00 from 10/01/2016 and informed that will reduce for $1.0 more from 01/01/2017!?! Is it fare?!
tony
Our COLA increase is bases on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Why are they basing our cost of living allowance on workers cost of living when we don’t work.
That show that they don’t care about retired or disabled people. They could gather information about retired and disabled people expense to see if the cost of living has gone up for retired and disabled people instead of the Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
Nancy M.
Sounds like you’ve been reading my mail. My situation is almost identical to yours, except I just moved from Mississippi to Texas. Never thought it would be even worse here. I am living on Social Security only, and like you, I make too much money for food stamps or Medicaid. Now I have figure out how I will pay for the Medigap insurance premium, the part B and part D premiiums, plus my rent which has gone up $200+ a month. Had to sell my car so I’ve got to bum rides. Texas has just removed seniors from the equation, even those like me who have multiple chronic disabilities. I feel so rejected and useless–not worthy of a second glance. I worked since I was in high school, a great portion of it with lawyers and politicians. Thought I’d seen greed and corruption–but nothing like this. Just living on a prayer one day at time.
David C.
I whole heartedly agree. I have been homeless for 5years 4 months.I worked so hard at a great paying job for over 15 years and was more than completely miserable with,”Aytipical Depression,Anxiety and ADD”. Many people however not all think I was the hand it out guy. Most all of my money was stolen from me by heroin addicts. Finally at 53 I learned to fight n bite and I did all GOD gave me to inflict as much pain on them as was created for me.
“crying” I will not take it qany more EVER.
Sherri C.
I got a $3.00 increase in SSI, which if I wanted foo stamps that went down in how much i could get it left me with being able to get $9.00 a month in food stamps. I figured there must be someone else worse off then me give it to them, I dont want to seem ungrateful but I have to go thru the process and degrading crap at DSS for $9.00 a month no thanks. Im havong to make decisions every month to either buy groceries or pay the power or water bill, when they figure out your expenses to see how much you will be getting for SSI, they dont count, car insurance, extra meds that Medicaid doesnt cover, summer and winter power bills, water bills, food, personal things needed, like toilet paper, soap. A phone, taxes for your home, and car and the expenses go on, they calculate the bare minimum that maybe if I lived in a cave would cover. Im not greedy and dont expect to live high on the hog but groceries and power bills are not suppose to be a luxury. Right now I have a power bill i cant pay and have no way to get extra money to pay it. My family has all passed now and Im on my own and screwed. I dont know what to do, I worked starting very young and worked hard, they drug my disability out for so many years the 5 yr max passed so I had to go for SSI which I didnt get until I hit 50, I started trying to get disability at 37 not by choice, I didnt have any other choice and if I didnt have family living back then I would have lost my home and everything else , although I have a home I cant afford to live in it or maintain it. I just need something help, real help, I am grateful for the money I get every month but having to decide to eat or not there just has to be a answer thats doesnt require me to have to make the choice between groceries or power. Stuck and dont no what else or who else can or will help.
Mousielove
Oh, gee. A whole THREE DOLLARS! I can buy a Christmas greeting card….oh wait, no I can’t – not enough money. Happy holidays from Social Security? More like BAH HUMBUG from our gutless politicians.
micki w.
my .3% is only costing me $4.78 in raises in medical ins and medicare cost
Anne M.
Yes. I,be been disabled for 7 yrs after working as a therapist and VP for a non-profit mental health agency for over 30 yrs. Had been in private practice 3 years when I got the infection in my spine leaving me paralyzed. I had Medicare and Medicaid until a small increase in my SSDI = $200 a yr put me over the req. income for Medicaid. So I had copays for everything. I have 5 specialists. It’s gotten to the point that I can’t get tests done because I can’t afford the treatments. By the end of the year the $200 increase cost me $3000.
This yr the.3% increase is $6 and the increase in Medicare premium increase is $6. Canceling each other out but because Medicare premiums are reflected as income it looks like I am making $297 more than last year when in I am making exactly the same amount as last year.
The government knows what it’s doing. That’s all I have to live on. And I know it will only get worse. So best wishes to all of us trying to get by. I expect the way it’s going to be homeless within a couple of years. I think every politian who votes to lower or eliminate SS/SSDI should adopt everyone from their state who ends up homeless because of their vote. LOL, wouldn’t that be a hoot! OK, so name would be Anne Marie McCain, nice ring to it.
gerri
Great thoughts, I agree with you Her we go under the closest bridge. LOL!
faye r.
I feel your concern fellow Americans, although I don’t depend on my SS check (thank God) to pay my bills and living expenses, I’m still wondering how my monthly check went down hundred of dollars after the Social Security Office wrote me a letter saying I got a COLA increase and additional dollar increase for paying more to the SS tax thru my husband’s work! I could see that my Medicare premium went to the roof even though I scarcely use it!
I just like to know where is the money going to?