Social Security and Medicare Year-End Update

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Each year-end brings new legislation, trustee reports, and administrative guidance that can materially affect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid planning. For tax and financial professionals, staying current on these updates is essential to helping clients maximize lifetime benefits, manage taxation, and coordinate retirement-income and healthcare strategies effectively—especially as the population continues to age.

This update-level course provides a comprehensive year-end review of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid developments. Michael Miranda examines current benefit rules, recent legislative changes, and the latest Trustees’ Report, while highlighting planning techniques designed to minimize taxes on Social Security benefits and avoid costly claiming or enrollment mistakes. The program also reviews benefit computation methods and planning strategies that help preserve benefits over retirement.

Designed for professionals who advise clients on retirement income and eldercare decisions, this course connects year-end regulatory updates with practical planning applications—equipping attendees to confidently guide clients into the new year.

Who Should Attend
This year-end update is designed for professionals who advise clients on retirement income, healthcare coverage, and government benefit coordination.

Topics Covered

• Overview of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits and rules
• Key findings from the current Trustees’ Report
• Taxation of Social Security benefits and planning techniques
• Types of Social Security benefits and benefit computation
• Strategies for avoiding reduction or loss of Social Security benefits
• Medicare program structure and enrollment fundamentals
• Medicaid purpose, eligibility, and planning considerations
• Common Social Security and Medicare planning pitfalls
• Year-end legislative updates, including recent fairness and reform provisions

Learning Objectives

• Identify current Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefit rules and eligibility requirements
• Apply tax planning strategies to reduce the taxation of Social Security benefits
• Analyze Social Security benefit computation methods and evaluate planning strategies to avoid benefit loss
• Differentiate Medicare and Medicaid programs and assess their role in retirement and eldercare planning
• Evaluate recent legislative and regulatory updates affecting Social Security and Medicare programs
• Review types of social security benefits, benefit computation, and techniques to avoid loss of benefits

Level
Update

Instructional Method
Group: Internet-based

NASBA Field of Study
Taxes (2 hours)

Program Prerequisites
A general understanding of retirement benefits, government benefits and related income tax consequences

Advance Preparation
None