RETIREBRIEF - September 19, 2026

Good morning. On September 29 the tariff on imported brand-name drugs reaches every company that ships them here, and the arithmetic of a doubled price on Entresto, Keytruda and Ozempic is everywhere this week. The proclamation President Trump signed says something different for those four drugs, and it tells you where a retiree could still feel it. After that: what Costco has and hasn't said about the Medicare plans carrying its name, and Suze Orman's one piece of advice for a new widow or widower.

ON THE MONEY TODAY:
* The 100% drug tariff takes full effect September 29. For drugs made in Europe, Japan and Switzerland the rule says 15%, and generics are exempt [link removed]
* Costco is putting its name on Medicare plans in three states. The premium, the network and the drug list haven't been published [link removed]
* Suze Orman's advice for the first year after a spouse dies: do nothing. Fraud losses for people over 60 have quadrupled since 2020 [link removed]

BEHIND THE HEADLINE
The 100% tariff, and the fine print under it
The 100% rate is the penalty for a company that makes a patented drug abroad, signs no deal and builds nothing here. Entresto, Keytruda, Lenvima and Ozempic are all made in 15% countries. For people on Medicare, the place to watch is not the pharmacy receipt. It is next year's premium and next year's drug list.
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WASHINGTON
Trump's 100% drug tariff starts Sept. 29. The fine print says 15%
Doubling the price of Entresto gives $1,435 for 60 tablets; the rate the rule actually sets for a Swiss-made drug gives about $825, and less if the maker signed a deal. Your share under Part D still stops at $2,100 this year. The article has the three places the cost could land anyway, and the one exemption to watch.
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MEDICARE
Costco is putting its name on Medicare plans. What isn't known yet
Costco and SCAN, a nonprofit insurer, plan Medicare Advantage plans in two states and a Medigap policy in a third, pending federal approval. You won't need a membership. They haven't named the states, the premiums or the networks. The article has the four numbers that matter more than the name on the card, and the Medigap trap.
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PROTECT YOURSELF
Suze Orman's advice for a new widow or widower: do nothing
Reported fraud losses for people over 60 rose from about $600 million in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024, and a death notice tells callers who is alone. Orman says to park any insurance money in a plain bank account for a year. The article has the short list that can't wait, and a Social Security choice most couples miss.
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MONEY IQ: According to the FDA, about what share of prescriptions filled in the United States are for generic drugs, which the new tariff does not cover?
A) About 5 in 10
B) About 7 in 10
C) About 9 in 10
D) Nearly all of them

ALSO MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY:
WASHINGTON: Washington can take 15% of a Social Security check for a defaulted student loan, down to a $750 floor set in 1996. Collections are paused for now. What a Senate bill would change, and what a borrower can do while the pause lasts. [link removed]
MEDICARE: The subsidy that held down drug-plan premiums is ending, so 2027 premiums were headed up before any tariff. What to check before your plan renews. [link removed]
SOCIAL SECURITY: SSI deposits arrive on October 1 and again on October 30 this year, and none comes in November. It's a calendar quirk, not extra money. The full schedule. [link removed]
CLAIMS: A denied Medicare claim is not the last word. Coding errors and paperwork glitches get overturned on appeal all the time. The deadlines and the steps. [link removed]

MONEY IQ ANSWER: C) About 9 in 10 - Generics and biosimilars are exempt from the tariff, along with drugs made in the United States and drugs approved only for rare diseases. The rule covers patented, brand-name medicines made abroad. If you take one, ask your pharmacist where it is made and whether a generic exists, then look it up in your plan's 2027 drug list when the Annual Notice of Change arrives. Open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7.

HOW WAS TODAY'S ISSUE? Click one:
💛💛💛💛💛 Nailed it: [link removed]
💛💛💛 Good: [link removed]
💛 Could do better: [link removed]

P.S. Vanguard found that only 16% of workers old enough to make catch-up contributions to a 401(k) actually made them. The five jobs for your last five working years, starting with the $35,750 one. [link removed]


Today's newsletter was written and edited by the RetireBrief team.

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