Fewer workers means Social Security and Medicare go broke faster: Social Security and Medicare are funded by 15.3% FICA payroll tax (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) split between employers and employees — if AI replaces millions of jobs, FICA tax revenue falls dramatically, potentially breaking "America's financing of retirement and health care that we've had since 1935."

31% of jobs have "high exposure" to AI automation: More than 813,000 Minnesota workers have jobs where more than half their tasks could be automated — Anthropic CEO predicts AI could push unemployment to 20% and wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs, while IMF projects 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected.

Policy solutions needed urgently before midterms: Proposed responses include universal basic income, shorter work weeks, aggressive retraining programs, and legislation (HF4369) requiring 90-day notice before deploying job-displacing technology plus mandatory reskilling — addressing AI threats to Social Security and Medicare "could be a bipartisan effort, uniting politicians and workers."

High earners pay $81-$487/month extra for Part B: About 8% of Medicare recipients with incomes above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (married) pay IRMAA surcharges on top of the standard $202.90 Part B premium — plus an additional $14.50-$91/month for Part D, based on your tax return from two years ago (2024 income determines 2026 premiums).

Seven qualifying events can exempt you from surcharges: Death of spouse, marriage, divorce/annulment, work reduction, work stoppage (retirement/layoff), loss of income-producing property (natural disaster, arson, theft), or loss of certain pension income — file Form SSA-44 with proof to request reconsideration.

Status changes annually and you can appeal: Because surcharges are recalculated every year based on income, you could pay extra for just one year if temporary income (stock sales, Roth conversion, property sale) bumps you into high-income territory — if your exemption request is denied, you can appeal through administrative law judge hearings and ultimately federal court.

May payment dates staggered by birth date: SSI recipients and dual SSI/Social Security recipients get paid Friday, May 1 — birth dates 1st-10th paid Wednesday, May 13; 11th-20th paid Wednesday, May 20; 21st-31st paid Wednesday, May 27.

Pre-1997 recipients follow different schedule: Those who began receiving retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997 are paid on separate dates than the birthday-based schedule — they're grouped with SSI recipients and paid on the 3rd of the month (or Friday, May 1 in this case).

Over 70 million depend on monthly payments: The Social Security Administration staggers payments across the month to manage the large number of beneficiaries — includes retirees, people with disabilities, survivors of deceased workers, and people with limited income through SSI.