On Thursday, October 11th, the Social Security Administration announced the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amounts people receive each month. The 2.8 percent increase will begin with benefits payable to more than 62 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2019.
Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2018.

On Friday, October 12th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the premiums, deductibles, and co-insurance for Medicare Parts A and B for the 2019 calendar year.

• The standard monthly premium for Part B enrollees will increase by $1.50 to $135.50, and the annual deductible will increase by $2 to $185.
• The Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible will increase by $24 to $1,364.
• The statutory hold harmless provision will continue to apply to about 2 million Medicare beneficiaries to protect them from a Part B premium increase that would exceed their Social Security benefits increase.