Within the Medicare Board of Trustees the Part B premium is projected to increase by 51.8 percent in 2016 to $159.30, from 2015’s premium of $104.90. Thankfully the Social Security trustees are calling for zero percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for those collecting Social Security. The reason why this is good news is that due to a regulation that was created in 1988, the Hold Harmless Act, retirees who are collecting Social Security and are enrolled into Medicare, will not see their Social Security benefit decrease because of an increase in the Medicare Part B premium. So for many retirees, about 70 percent according to Michael Kitces of Nerd’s Eye View’s recent article, this increase in the Part B premium will not affect them because the Hold Harmless Act protects their Social Security benefit from decreasing. The bad news is their Social Security benefit in 2016 will remain the same as it was in 2015. No need to worry because there no inflation, right? As for the remaining 30 percent of retirees, they are not as lucky to have their Social Security benefit remain constant. Due to the structure of the Hold Harmless Act as well as a regulatory change in 2009 by Congress, those who are enrolled into Medicare, but who are not collecting Social Security benefits, cannot be ‘held harmless.’ Another group of retirees not protected from Hold Harmless are those earning too much income. They are affected by Medicare’s “means testing,” the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). They will not only be affected by this premium increase, but will also see their Social Security decrease in 2016 from where it was in 2015.