Cost of Living
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It’s official. Medicare Part B 2026 premium will eat a big chunk of Social Security COLA
(usatoday.com) It’s official. Medicare costs will eat up much of older Americans’ Social Security cost-of-living adjustment next year. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient care, doctors’ services, durable medical equipment and preventive service, will be $202.90 in 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said on Nov. 14. That’s up $17.90, or nearly 9.7%, from $185.00 in 2025.
COSTS/BENEFIT OF TARIFFS
Click here for an AI generated summary of how much tariffs are costing different US income levels as well as the expected benefits for the US Treasury.
Dominion proposes higher utility rates, new rate class for data centers
(virginiamercury.com) Utility’s planned rate hike would add $10.51 per month to residential customers’ bills starting in 2027, while a separate fuel rate increase would add an average of $10.92 more per month.
Where SNAP benefits stand amid negotiations to end the government shutdown
(cnbc.com) The current federal government shutdown, which has set the record for the longest, has also interrupted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. As Washington lawmakers work on legislation to restore government funding and activity, full SNAP benefits should be available to beneficiaries “soon,” one expert says. Yet other changes to SNAP enacted in July may put future benefits at risk.
