Hoping my very helpful supplemental insurance doesn't go up too much too. Great policy as it is with the Federal Employees Blue Cross/Blue Shield group and they don't generally jerk that big of a group around too much, but, SS and a tiny pension is all I have so...

It will show how much your new SS & Medicare are.

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

I tried to register but when I click on the register button nothing happens. I'm not sure why.

I only get one notice year for my new amounts, but maybe other people get more.

Good luck! That $30 hit sucks!

Our local library offers tech help for seniors, one of their very best adult services. Might inquire your local library. If they don't have tech help, they probably know where people can get it. Lots of retired IT people help others.

Yes, there was a COL increase. And Medicare went up (a whopping $10).
(I'm wondering if your difference doesn't have to do with a Gap or Advantage plan that is also being taken out?)

I have Part A, B and D, but not Part C. I am going to try calling them and see if Part D went up. I know I really should be following this more closely. I get so much junk mail that sometimes I inadvertently throw out important mail with it. I may have been notified but did not read the letter. My bad.

insurance. There are no drug plans run by the government (unfortunately) - so unsure why your drug plan is being taken out from your SS payment unless you specifically asked that it was. But my guess is - since insurance companies have all raised their drug plan prices exhorbitantly - that's the reason your SS is lower even with the cost of living increase (it's not your govt Medicare that is the reason) - it's your private insurance drug plan.

Lifelong penalties for not enrolling in time are set out in the Medicare laws. Caps on out-of-pocket expenses. The donut hole, etc.

Yes, it is administered by private insurance companies - as is Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage plans). I don't like that reality - but the fact that I don't like doesn't make the plans not part of Medicare.

As for prices - my drug plan costs exactly what it did last year: $0/month. My spouse's premium has gone up, but only because we switched plans. Her overall cost (premiums + out-of pocket costs) - for one more drug than she was taking last year - is about $400 lower for the year. I compared all of the plans available to us. My overall costs are slightly lower than last year, and across the board, my spouses are dramatically lower. I had expected the premiums to be higher because of the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap. But even though the premiums are higher on some plans there is considerably less variation in the drug prices from plan to plan - and even in comparison to drugs purchased via GoodRx or Costco membership prices - where we have bought over half of our meds for the last 3 years. It was a very unexpected and pleasant surprise.

Is Medicare increase.

Insignificant. On the other hand, my Medicare Advantage premium went down about $10. Something about my deferred Part D.

Or if you are also paying for Part A that could be the cause.

by Medicare premium increases. I realize that SS was never intended to be a sole source of income but it is an important part of many seniors' budgets.

Part B went up $5 from $180 to $185.
Social security did go up,
Check how much is taken out for Part D compared to 2024.