A beneficiary attaining the normal retirement age after 2002 is exempt from reduction of Social Security benefits regardless of the amount of earned income.
Through Medicare Part D, eligible participants can elect to receive the benefits of Medicare Parts A and B through private health plans, in addition to certain items not covered by Medicare Parts A and B.
The current generations of taxpayers are confident about the ability of the Social Security system to deliver benefits at current inflation-adjusted levels.
The current Social Security benefit levels cannot be maintained without raising Social Security withholding taxes or extending the normal retirement age.
If an individual qualifies as both a worker and as the spouse of a worker, the beneficiary will receive whichever primary insurance amount is greater, but not both.
In the last two decades, Social Security taxes have increased much faster than the general level of prices, but not as fast as the cost of health care.
Both public assistance programs and social insurance programs are organized and undertaken by the government and have the broad social purpose of reducing want and destitution.