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AMAC EXCLUSIVE: WH Press Sec. Leavitt Breaks Down Trump’s Midterm Message to Seniors

|No tax on Social Security, increased tax refunds in 2026, and a targeted agenda to bring down the cost of living – those were the three themes that emerged from my interview with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about President Donald Trump’s message to seniors heading into critical midterm elections next year. The senior vote is pivotal in any election, and Leavitt emphasized that President Trump is committed to delivering on the issues that President Trump is committed to delivering on the issues that matter most to older Americans.

“The first thing I can say is that, without a doubt, President Trump loves and adores our country’s seniors,” Leavitt said. “He understands perhaps more than any president in history how seniors are uniquely impacted by government policy. They’ve spent their entire lives working and paying into systems like Medicare and Social Security, and they deserve a government that is committed to serving them and ensuring they get the benefits they have earned.”

“This President also understands how important it is to older Americans that his administration does more to bring down the cost of living and put money back in people’s pockets,” Leavitt continued. “Not just for them, but for their children and grandchildren as well. When this administration sees older Americans, we see a group of people who are deeply committed to leaving this country a better place than they found it, and I can tell you that President Trump is absolutely committed to joining them in that mission. That is why he made such a huge sacrifice by leaving the business world to run for president in the first place.”

Ultimately, Leavitt said, President Trump’s message to seniors isn’t about political spin or some clever turn of phrase; it’s simply about working hard every day to deliver results and then letting the record speak for itself.


 
One blatantly obvious disconnect that he could address:

Social Security (and military retirement and VA disability) COLA is 2.5 percent, based on "inflation."
Medicare premiums going up almost 9.7 percent (basic rate)
Medicare supplement/gap and prescription insurance premiums going up (varies by company and coverages)

My long-term care insurance premiums went up 25 percent this year. Yes, TWENTY-FIVE percent.
Due to increasing longevity, plus rising healthcare and long-term care costs, the older, lifetime, unlimited policies like mine aren't even sold anymore 😭


Congregate, residential care for seniors gets more and more expensive every year, and costs are expected to rise faster than overall inflation.

According to Statista, the national average annual cost for a private room in 2024 was $127,750, will rise to 152,540 in 2030, and to 275,505 in 2050. THIS IS MORE THAN 116 percent increase.
Cost of nursing homes annually with projections| Statista

The average MONTHLY nursing home room cost in Minnesota for 2021 was $11,601 (semiprivate room), $13,072 (private room)


Medicare doesn't cover custodial care and only some of the costs for the first 100 days of skilled nursing, and after that, nothing:

During a benefit period, what you pay depends on how long you’re getting skilled nursing facility care:
  • Days 1–20: You pay $0 each day after you pay the $1,676 amount in 2025 ($1,736 in 2026).
  • Days 21–100: You pay $209.50 each day in 2025 ($217.00 in 2026).
  • Days 101 and beyond: You pay all costs.
Skilled nursing facility care

The increase in the daily cost share for days 21-100 is going up over 3.8 percent in 2026 from 2025

$217 x 80 days = $17,360 cost share for days 21-100


I think inflation for seniors is far worse than the CPI inflation rate indicates, simply due to large increases in the unique costs associated with being old.


EDITED TO ADD: There are requirements and conditions that have to be met before Medicare will cover any skilled nursing care (listed/explained at the Medicare link, above).
 
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