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Shifting Gear: Maryland’s Durable Medical Equipment Re-use Program

Oct 20, 2023

One of the ways the Maryland Department of Aging has been working to provide assistance to Marylanders with disabilities is the, perhaps under-advertised, Durable Medical Equipment Re-use (DME) program. As the name suggests, it is looking to help local residents...

SSA 2024 COLA Figures Are Out!

Oct 12, 2023

2024's Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) has been published as planned. As many had predicted, compared to last year’s staggering 8.7% increase, it’s a rather more modest 3.2%. In terms of how that looks to SSI recipients, it means that the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR)...

Speculation Mounts on 2024 COLA Increase

Oct 5, 2023

It’s nearly that time again when the Social Security Administration reveals the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security and SSI beneficiaries. In fact, as the government shutdown was postponed for a little while at least, we’re just a week away now from...

Leave of Absence: How the Government Shutdown May Affect Benefits

Sep 29, 2023

It is looking increasingly likely that our government won't be able to overcome the present gridlock and will be heading for a shutdown on Saturday night. This means that until a resolution is arrived at government services are going to restricted at best. The good...

SSI Resource Limits to be Increased?

Sep 15, 2023

It couldn't happen, could it? A resource limit that has remained resolutely entrenched at $2000 for an individual and $3000 for a married couple since the 1980s might just get an increase. There is an awfully long way to go to see if that actually does come to pass...

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Spread the Word: Social Security Promotes ‘Slam the Scam’ 2026

National Consumer Protection week, which has been sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission since 1998, is soon to be upon us. It runs from March 1 to 7 and is designed to spread awareness and provide information to us, the consumers, on how to best safeguard our own...

Cold Comfort: The Scope of Maryland Energy Assistance Programs

The recent cold snap has brought with its rock-heavy snow and breathtakingly icy winds the reminder of how lucky the majority of us are to have warm homes in which we can hide away until the temperatures rise again. Of course, not all of us can rely on such comforts,...

SNAP Tackles Pop: States Ban Food Stamp Purchases of Soda and Candy

There have always been restrictions on what you can buy with food stamps, now dubbed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (a godsend to sub-editors everywhere). The simple, if perhaps occasionally dubious, pleasures that alcoholic beverages provide...

2026’s 1619(b) Thresholds Are Out!

Unlike many annual changes in the benefits world, which are announced on a fairly rigid schedule, recent history has shown that we can never quite be sure when the new thresholds for 1619(b) are going to be announced. Fortunately, this year there hasn’t been much of a...

Health Check: Changes to Medicaid in Maryland

The new year is an obvious time to make changes if that’s what you’re going to do and it might seem that if things are going to be different for Medicaid beneficiaries now would be the time to learn what’s new. Oddly enough, even though there are changes afoot,...

What’s New? Update on 2026 Benefits Changes

Now that we have to admit that the holidays are truly over and we're embedded in the new year, for better or for worse, it's worth having a quick look over the new annual figures that will affect those of us who receive federal benefits. By now everyone who receives...

Happy Holidays from MDBCN to You!

Another year comes to another close and although we can hardly look back on 12 months of love, peace, and harmony we can always hope for that in the future. Whatever may come to pass, we at the Maryland Benefits Counseling Network will continue to endeavor to keep you...

Getting Better: ABLE Changes for 2026

Back in 2022 Congress passed a bill that is about to go into effect. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act decreed that as of January 2026 the age threshold for Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts would increase from 26 to 46. The ABLE Act has been around for more...

A Bitter Pill: Medicare Costs in 2026

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the 2026 premium and deductible figures. It’s a familiar story, as those costs are up again. The standard Medicare Part B premium will raise eyebrows and blood pressure as it increases by $17.90 a...

From the Horse’s Mouth: SSA Commissioner Delivers 2025 Fiscal Report

Gues what? It’s all good. On November 20 Frank Bisignano, Social Security’s Commissioner, published his letter to Congress detailing the agency’s achievements in 2025. The letter, which you can read in full here (Commissioner Letter to Congress: Year in Review) begins...