(Washington, DC) The portion of Social Security benefits that retirees spent on Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs climbed in 2018 for a growing number of retirees in 2018, according to a recent survey by The Senior Citizens League. About 30 percent of retirees say that premiums and out-of-pocket spending consumed one-third to one-half of their Social Security benefits. The findings represent a 7 percent jump from the 23 percent of retirees reporting healthcare costs took this portion of Social Security in 2017. .In addition, we strongly recommend that you attend classes or workshops about Social Security. Check with your local senior center, community colleges and universities, libraries or area agencies on aging. If you have some retirement savings in an IRA or 401(k), many of the companies handling your retirement money offer some benefit counseling advice that can help you calculate how much longer you may need to work to reach a more optimal level of retirement savings. .Over the past 8 years COLAs have been at record lows, averaging just 1.1 percent. During three of those years there was no COLA at all, and in 2017, the COLA was just 0.3 percent. But inflation, especially for the goods and services used by older Americans, has continued to grow more quickly than annual COLAs. .For those Social Security recipients concerned about making ends meet going forward, here are some tips: .58% Of Seniors Worried Their Health Plan Could Be Cancelled .Social Security provides the income and access to health care that seniors rely on each and every day. They are benefits my generation has earned – and future generations have been promised. We must work together and make sure our country keeps this promise. .Unlike AARP, The Senior Citizens League is a true grassroots organization. Almost one hundred percent of our revenue comes from individual donations, and we do not sell any products to our members. We even refuse outside advertising in our materials. Our sole focus is on education and protection of the Social Security and Medicare benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. .The jury is still out on value-based health systems, and whether they can save any significant amount of money remains to be seen. The Congressional Budget Office issued a recent report outlining a number of issues and unintended consequences such as providing an incentive for providers to improve their "quality rankings" by avoiding sicker patients. Critics say that the system places a new burden on primary care doctors that would potentially punish providers financially for patients' bad health habits and behaviors. .This week, one new cosponsor – Rep. John Sarbanes (MD-3) – signed on to the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act (H.R. 1811), bringing the total up to eleven. If signed into law, H.R. 1811 would base Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) and it would gradually phase out the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. It would extend the program's solvency for decades into the future responsibly, without cutting benefits for seniors.