Enough is enough! What is the federal government doing to the senior citizens? There will be no increase in our Social Security for 2016, and Medicare will increase its premium from $104.90 to $121.80 for new beneficiaries. I became a Medicare beneficiary in November.

Seniors are working well into their 70s. I thought these years were supposed to be our golden years. Why should seniors, after working all their adult lives, paying taxes and paying into Social Security, have to continue to work and worry about their finances? We paid our dues.

Not every senior is able to continue to work. Not every senior was able to have a well-established retirement fund. I retired early to become the full-time caregiver for my husband, who has atypical Parkinson’s disease.

Seniors are on a fixed income. But our expenses are not fixed expenses. Seniors should be able to retire and enjoy their retirement. A little preventive foresight would be beneficial to all.

Seniors worry. Worry causes stress. Stress causes sickness. Sickness causes medical and prescription drug bills. Medicare pays. If seniors did not have to worry, maybe there would be fewer medical and prescription drug bills to pay.

We elect our U.S. senators and representatives to work for us and speak for us in Washington. I’m sure they have family members who are seniors. Our elected officials should have worked to prevent Medicare’s increase in premium from becoming a reality.

Patti Fortula-Kohn

South Portland