3.9% increase in SS benifit countered by 5% increase in Medicare fee

The process for changes in Social Security wages and Medicare fees were established before Obama became President and have nothing to do with Obamacare.

Will an additional $5 per month wipe out everyone's savings? That's what the increase is.

It's going to offset the COLA increase for a whole lot of people--and many I know are already living on the edge, and dipping into savings. In addition, Obamacare increases fees for some procedures, lowers the limits on others, increases the costs of some medication co-pays, and places coverage caps in place for Medicare B as well (starts in 2014, I believe though it might be this coming year). The law has 20 separate taxes in it so far, and that's after the ones reconciliation dropped out that may return. No matter how you do the math, patients will be paying more--and that money will probably come out of savings of some sort. The processes that determine cost of living allowance increases and the percentage increase (which 5% is actually the base increase--there is also an increased deductible coming up) is based on a set of economic indicators and adjusted for inflation annually. The formula itself is generally looked at and re-approved every 2 years or so.

I based the 3.9% on what I heard on the news. Now that I have been able to calculate my own SS increase, like yours it is 1.7%.

True it is. You would think, especially with the new health care law that maybe they would allow people to drop medicare and get private insurance. It would probably be better than the medicare, but who knows considering the insurance and health care is now more or less government run and controlled.

My daughter gets to keep $11.00 of her increase and the rest is going to medicare. The medicare that's basically useless, but pretty much forced on you.

People are allowed to drop Medicare part B NOW. Number 1, you don't HAVE to sign up for it. You can opt out of it. Number 2, if you have it, you can ask to drop it, however, once you drop Medicare Part B you can no longer rejoin.

If your relatively healthy like me, it doesn't pay any where near 80% because of the annual deductible. You seem to forget that it was Clinton and the Democrats that made up to 85% of Social Security taxable if you lived frugally and saved and invested and thus have other income.

Yes but Medicare is essentially insurance. If you own a house with a mortgage, you are required to buy home owner's insurance. If you own a car, your state will make you buy car insurance. Your deductible for your home owner's or car insurance is probably higher than the Part B Medicare deductible ($147 for 2013)yet you are less likely to collect on those policies. As with normal insurance, you also can not collect enough to make a profit. Don't forget it was Ronald Reagan who first made Social Security income taxable.

I didn't say it would wipe it out but it does put a dent in it.

You seem to imply it by only listing the percentages. The 3.9% should be multiplied by over $1000 per month to get the increase in SS wages while the %5 should be multiplied by $99 to get the increase in Medicare payments.