Social Security and Military retirement

[Retired Chief 0]

I asked online at the recent video, my question concerned taxes, so far since I started receiving S/S (2002) when I turned 62. I was told I had to have a minimum of 15% of my benefit taxed. Every year since then, even with my Coast Guard retirement I have had all the taxes I paid returned to me at the end of the year. I have spoken to Social Security to see if I can have my monthly income tax not taken out because I can sure use it that's an extra $75 a month in hand. and when one is living on this fixed income it would come in very handy. I was informed that I must pay the income tax because when I signed up for it I had the min amount taken out. Now I have a twin brother who also receives S/S along with a retirement from his last 2 jobs. His income is nearly twice mine, and he does not have income taxes removed from his S/S. How is that right?

I have another dilemma that really irritates me, this concerns medicare. as I stated I am a retired CG Chief,  1988, because of this I have been using TRICARE basic, this has zero cost, only a $25 co-pay when ever I use it. I am so far in good health and have used medical very little. From my retirement on, I can say I have averaged  maybe $250 a year for my wifes needs. Then when I turned 65 I was informed that I "MUST Purchase Medicare at a cost of $132 a month for myself, and use TRICARE for Life. My wife is still on TRICARE Basic and still averages about $250 of medical a year and that is on her prescriptions and regular medical check ups. Just this past Feb TRICARE for Life changed to me having to pay a small amount out of pocket for my meds that has been free since I started taking them while in my 50's and these Meds as I have been informed are not covered under Medicare. so you see I am now paying $1584. a year out of my S/S for something that was nearly free to me. My question is Why? I served over 21 years in the service of my country only to be treated like a ........? 

[Devin Carroll 1]

I think you've been misinformed about mandatory tax withholding. You CAN have this stopped. If you run into a SS tech that tells you this again, show them the following excerpt from their own processing manual that tells them what code to use when changing the voluntary tax withholding to 0%. https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202410015 Section 7 says, "7. Discontinuing VTW-If the beneficiary wants to stop or suspend VTW, or elects a future withholding date, code a 0 percent withholding rate."

The Medicare information sounds correct. At 65 your TRICARE becomes a Medicare wraparound coverage and Medicare part B is required. You don't want to miss signing up for this. The penalties for missing this are steep at 10% in excess premium per year.