Retirees Face Steep Medical Bills and Coverage Shifts Before Midterm Vote

Barbara Weigand, an 83-year-old resident of North Canton, Ohio, recently withdrew $4,000 from her retirement savings to cover expenses related to shoulder surgery and a bladder cancer diagnosis. She stated that her monthly income is insufficient to cover these new medical costs. Weigand, who is currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, began searching for new coverage in October as the annual open enrollment period opened.

The financial strain Weigand experiences reflects a wider trend affecting older Americans. According to an AARP poll conducted in early October, 83 percent of voters over age 50 reported being extremely motivated to vote in the upcoming midterms. This demographic is closely watching how healthcare affordability will be handled by the next Congress. The primary concerns for this group include rising Medicare costs, prescription drug prices, and the increasing expense of long-term care.

Medicare beneficiaries face several changes during the current enrollment window that will take effect in 2027. These include higher out-of-pocket caps for Part D, the expiration of temporary federal premium subsidies, and new drug price negotiations. In some states, insurance companies have also placed limits on the number of individuals who can enroll in Advantage plans, with some insurers exiting markets or dropping specific plans. Juliette Cubanski, director of the KFF’s program on Medicare policy, noted that this period allows enrollees to evaluate their current coverage and potentially find options that offer better access to care at a lower cost.

Prescription drug costs remain a barrier to consistent treatment. A KFF survey from March indicated that approximately 40 percent of U.S. adults have not taken their medication as prescribed in the past year due to cost. Weigand is considering rationing her medication to stretch its duration. She described the practice as taking her medicine every other day to make it last longer. The same KFF report found that about 20 percent of surveyed individuals had cut pills in half or skipped doses in the previous year because of financial constraints.

The cost of long-term care has also risen sharply. An AARP report released this week found that family caregivers are spending nearly 60 percent more on support than five years ago. The average annual expenditure for family caregivers is now $11,508, up from $7,242 in 2021. Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s executive vice president and chief advocacy officer, said the organization is hearing from members about the financial pressure from drug costs, co-pays, and premiums. She stated that AARP is working to help family caregivers manage these finances and obtain the information needed to support their loved ones.

A national poll on healthy aging conducted by the University of Michigan in September 2025 found that about one-third of Americans over 50 provide regular care to an adult relative or friend with a health issue or disability. The Social Security Administration announced this month that the annual cost-of-living adjustment will rise by 3.6 percent starting in 2027. This increase adds $75 per month for the nearly 72 million people receiving monthly Social Security benefits and approximately 7.3 million beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income. The Social Security and Medicare trustees’ report from June indicates that the combined trust funds will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2034, at which point incoming revenue would cover about 83 percent of scheduled benefits.

Matt Hogan, a partner at Impact Research, advised candidates that Social Security and Medicare should be central to their messaging in the final days of the midterm campaign. He noted that regardless of party affiliation, making inroads with these voters requires addressing these core financial concerns.