The Crisis

Florida's Seniors Are Running Out of Time — and Washington Doesn't Care

Social Security is not an entitlement. It is a contract. For decades, American workers paid into the system with every paycheck, trusting that the government would hold up its end of the bargain when they retired. That trust is being broken. The Social Security Trust Fund is now projected to run dry by 2032 — just six years from now — at which point every beneficiary in America will face an automatic 23% cut to their monthly check. For a typical retired couple in Florida, that means losing $18,400 a year. Not because they did anything wrong. Because Washington spent their money on everything except what it was supposed to be spent on.

Florida is ground zero for this crisis. Nearly five million Floridians are 65 or older — the highest proportion of any state in the nation. More than four million Americans are turning 65 every single year, a demographic wave that is accelerating the pressure on a system that was already buckling. Meanwhile, Medicare Part B premiums just jumped to $206.50 a month, the second-highest increase in program history, and Florida seniors lost $388 million to fraud in 2024 alone. The politicians who created this mess are doing nothing to fix it. Some are actively making it worse.

"I worked for 41 years and paid into Social Security every single paycheck. Now they tell me the money might not be there when I need it most. I did my part. Why can't they do theirs?"

Robert M. · Fort Myers, FL · Retired Machinist

Chris Gleason believes that every senior who paid into Social Security and Medicare deserves to receive every dollar they were promised. He is running for the United States Senate to protect those benefits, lower the costs that are crushing seniors on fixed incomes, crack down on the criminals who prey on the elderly, and hold Washington accountable for the trust fund it has been looting for decades.

2032
Year Trust Fund Goes Insolvent
23%
Automatic Benefit Cut at Insolvency
$388M
Lost to Elder Fraud in FL (2024)
$206
Monthly Medicare Part B Premium (2026)
5M
Florida Seniors Age 65+
Threats to Florida Seniors

Four Forces Putting Your Benefits at Risk

⏳

Trust Fund Insolvency

The Social Security Trust Fund is projected to be depleted by 2032 — accelerated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in July 2025. When it runs dry, benefits will be automatically slashed by 23% for every single recipient. A typical retired couple would lose $18,400 a year. Congress has known about this for decades and has done nothing.

$18,400
Annual Loss per Retired Couple at Insolvency
💸

Skyrocketing Medicare Costs

Medicare Part B premiums jumped 9.7% to $206.50 per month in 2026 — the second-highest increase in program history. Part D out-of-pocket costs hit $2,100 annually. While drug price negotiations have started, only 10 drugs are covered so far, and seniors are still drowning in premiums, copays, and supplemental insurance costs that outpace their Social Security adjustments.

9.7%
Part B Premium Increase in One Year
🎯

Elder Fraud Epidemic

Florida seniors lost $388 million to fraud in 2024, making the state the second-worst in the nation for elder fraud. Scammers impersonate Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, and even grandchildren. The average victim loses nearly $34,000. And only 17% of victims ever report the crime, meaning the true cost is far higher than anyone admits.

83%
Of Elder Fraud Goes Unreported
🏠

The Aging-in-Place Crisis

Most seniors want to remain in their own homes as they age — but the system makes it nearly impossible. The average cost of home health care in Florida exceeds $27 per hour, with limited insurance coverage. Medicaid wait lists for home and community-based services stretch months or years. The alternative — nursing home care — averages over $100,000 per year, wiping out a lifetime of savings in months.

$100K+
Average Annual Cost of Nursing Home Care

Social Security's trust fund runs dry by 2033. Washington's plan? Kick the can.

You paid in for decades. Chris will make sure the system pays you back. Every cent.

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Real Stories

Florida Seniors in Their Own Words

“

My Social Security check is $1,847 a month. My rent is $1,400. My Medicare premium is $206. My Part D is another $35. That leaves me $206 for food, gas, and everything else for the entire month. I worked 38 years as a nurse. I saved what I could. And now I am one car repair away from not making it. A 23% cut would end me.

DW
Dorothy W.
St. Petersburg, FL · Retired Nurse
“

A man called and said he was from Social Security. He said my account had been compromised and I needed to verify my information or my benefits would be frozen. I gave him my Social Security number and my bank routing number. He cleaned out $22,000 from my savings. I am 79 years old. That was everything I had left. The bank said there was nothing they could do.

HL
Harold L.
Sarasota, FL · Retired Teacher & Fraud Victim
“

My husband has diabetes and heart disease. Before the drug price cap, we were paying over $600 a month just for his medications. The new cap helped some, but our Part B premium went up, our supplement went up, and the drugs they did not negotiate are still full price. We are spending $4,200 a year more on healthcare than we were three years ago. Our Social Security increase did not even cover half of it.

MG
Maria G.
Hialeah, FL · Caregiver & Retired Office Manager
Enough Is Enough

Florida's seniors deserve a Senator who will protect their benefits, not a politician who raids the trust fund and hopes no one notices.

Every dollar you contribute funds the fight to save Social Security, lower Medicare costs, and crack down on the criminals targeting our elderly.

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Where Your Money Went

How Washington Broke the Promise to Seniors

$2.7T
In IOUs Held by the Trust Fund

The Trust Fund Shell Game

The Social Security Trust Fund does not hold cash. It holds $2.7 trillion in special-issue Treasury bonds — IOUs from the federal government to itself. For decades, Congress has borrowed from the trust fund to pay for general spending, replacing real money with paper promises. Now those bonds need to be redeemed to pay benefits, and the government has to borrow or tax to make good on them. The money was spent. The bill is coming due.

$3.5T
Added to Deficits by the One Big Beautiful Bill

The Law That Made It Worse

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, added an estimated $3.5 trillion to federal deficits over the next decade. The Social Security Chief Actuary determined that provisions in the law — including new deductions that reduce payroll tax revenue — accelerated the trust fund's insolvency from 2033 to 2032. Politicians sold the bill as a tax cut for seniors while quietly moving up the date their benefits get slashed. A $6,000 deduction today means nothing if your monthly check drops by $450 next decade.

2.5:1
Projected Worker-to-Beneficiary Ratio by 2050

The Demographic Time Bomb

In 1960, there were five workers paying into Social Security for every one person collecting benefits. Today that ratio has fallen to three to one. By 2050, it will be two and a half to one. More than four million Americans are turning 65 every year — the largest wave of retirees in history. The system was not designed for this math, and Congress has refused to update it. The longer they wait, the more painful the fix becomes.

01

Protect Social Security from Cuts, Privatization, and Political Games

Social Security is the single most important financial lifeline for millions of American seniors. Nearly 90% of Americans age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits, and for more than 40% of them, it constitutes the majority of their income. In Florida, with the highest concentration of seniors in the nation, the stakes are even higher. A 23% across-the-board cut at insolvency would be catastrophic — not in some distant future, but within the next six years.

Chris Gleason will oppose any legislation that cuts Social Security benefits for current or near-term retirees. He will fight against any scheme to privatize Social Security by diverting payroll contributions into individual stock market accounts, which would expose seniors' retirement security to market volatility and Wall Street fees. He will co-sponsor legislation requiring that Social Security reform be addressed as a standalone bill, not buried inside omnibus packages where politicians can hide benefit cuts behind unrelated spending.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act demonstrated exactly how Washington operates: it handed seniors a temporary $6,000 tax deduction while accelerating the trust fund's insolvency by a full year, moving the date of a permanent 23% benefit cut closer to 2032. That is not a tax cut for seniors. That is a bait-and-switch. Chris Gleason will never vote for legislation that trades short-term political headlines for long-term benefit destruction.

The federal lever: Social Security is entirely a federal program, administered by the Social Security Administration and governed by Title II of the Social Security Act. A U.S. Senator votes directly on any changes to benefit formulas, retirement ages, payroll tax rates, and trust fund management. Every aspect of Social Security reform runs through Congress.

Evidence

The 2025 Social Security Trustees Report projects OASI Trust Fund depletion by 2033, with the Chief Actuary determining that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act accelerated insolvency to 2032. At depletion, benefits would be automatically cut to 77% of scheduled amounts — a 23% reduction affecting every beneficiary. The 75-year actuarial deficit stands at 3.82% of taxable payroll, representing a $25 trillion shortfall. A typical retired couple facing insolvency would lose approximately $18,400 per year. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 2025, repealed WEP/GPO but added approximately $200 billion to the 10-year shortfall, further compressing the timeline.

02

Strengthen Medicare and Drive Down Prescription Drug Costs

Medicare is the healthcare backbone for 67 million Americans, and Florida has more Medicare beneficiaries per capita than virtually any other state. But the program is bleeding seniors dry. Part B premiums jumped 9.7% in a single year to $206.50 per month in 2026 — the second-highest increase in the program's history. Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,100, but the cap only covers Part D drugs and does nothing about rising premiums, supplemental insurance, or the medications not yet subject to negotiation.

The Medicare drug price negotiation program is a start — the first 10 negotiated prices took effect January 2026, delivering discounts of 38% to 79% off list prices and saving Florida seniors an average of 54% on covered drugs, the highest savings rate in the nation. But only 10 drugs are covered, with 15 more coming in 2027. Seniors take an average of 4.7 prescription medications. The math does not work yet.

Chris Gleason will fight to expand the Medicare drug negotiation program to cover at least 50 drugs by 2028 and all high-cost drugs by 2030. He will push for legislation capping annual out-of-pocket costs across all Medicare parts — not just Part D — so that seniors on fixed incomes can actually budget their healthcare expenses. He will support the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which allows seniors to spread costs over 12 monthly installments instead of paying lump sums at the pharmacy counter. And he will oppose any effort to cut Medicare benefits, raise the eligibility age, or shift costs onto seniors to pay for tax cuts or unrelated spending.

The federal lever: Medicare is a federal program administered by CMS. Drug pricing, benefit structures, premium levels, and negotiation authority are all set by federal statute. The Inflation Reduction Act's negotiation provisions can be expanded, and cost-sharing rules can be reformed, through direct Congressional action.

Evidence

Medicare Part B premiums reached $206.50/month in 2026, a 9.7% increase from $185 in 2025 — the second-highest single-year increase in program history. Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 (up from $2,000). The first 10 Medicare-negotiated drug prices delivered 38-79% discounts off list prices, with estimated $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket savings for beneficiaries in 2026. AARP analysis found an average 51% cost reduction for negotiated drugs, with Florida seniors seeing 54% average savings — the highest in the nation. 11 million Part D enrollees are expected to hit the $2,000 cap in 2025, saving a combined $7.2 billion. An additional 15 drugs have been selected for 2027 negotiations, with projected annual savings of $8.5-12 billion.

03

Crack Down on the Criminals Targeting Florida's Seniors

Florida is the elder fraud capital of America. In 2024, seniors aged 60 and older lost $388 million to fraud — and that only counts the cases that were reported. The Florida Attorney General's office recorded over 71,000 complaints in just the first half of the year, with total losses of $293 million. The state ranks second in the nation for elder fraud complaints, trailing only California. Nationally, Americans over 60 lost an estimated $4.8 billion in 2024, with the average victim losing nearly $34,000. For a senior on a fixed income, that can mean the difference between keeping the lights on and losing everything.

The scams are sophisticated and relentless. Criminals impersonate Social Security agents, Medicare representatives, IRS officers, and even grandchildren in distress. Romance scams, tech support fraud, and investment schemes target isolated seniors who may be less familiar with digital threats. And the system is stacked against victims: only 17% of elder fraud victims ever report the crime, meaning the true financial devastation is five to six times higher than official figures suggest. When victims do report, recovery rates are inconsistent and the perpetrators are rarely caught.

Chris Gleason will co-sponsor legislation to increase federal penalties for crimes targeting Americans over 60, including mandatory minimum sentences for fraud schemes exceeding $50,000 in losses. He will push for dedicated federal funding to expand the FBI's Elder Fraud Strike Forces in Florida, which currently recover between 40% and 70% of losses when crimes are reported promptly. He will fight for a national Senior Fraud Hotline with real-time bank coordination authority to freeze suspicious transactions before the money disappears overseas. And he will champion mandatory financial literacy and scam-awareness outreach to every Social Security and Medicare beneficiary — because preventing fraud is cheaper and more effective than prosecuting it after the damage is done.

The federal lever: Elder fraud is a federal crime when it crosses state lines or involves federal programs like Social Security and Medicare. The DOJ's Elder Justice Initiative, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, and FTC enforcement actions are all within Congressional oversight and funding authority. A U.S. Senator can direct appropriations, strengthen sentencing guidelines, and mandate interagency coordination.

Evidence

FBI data shows Florida seniors (60+) lost $388.4 million from 11,902 reported victims in 2024. The FL Attorney General recorded 71,351 complaints with $293.4 million in losses in just the first half of 2024. Florida ranks #2 nationally for elder fraud complaints. National losses for Americans 60+ reached an estimated $4.8 billion in 2024, with average losses of $33,915 per victim. Financial exploitation of seniors increased 11% from 2022. Only 17% of victims report scams to authorities. FBI Elder Fraud Strike Forces recover 40-70% of losses when cases are reported promptly — demonstrating that rapid intervention works when resources exist.

04

Support Aging in Place and Make Long-Term Care Affordable

Nearly 90% of Americans over 65 say they want to remain in their own homes as they age. But the healthcare and housing systems in this country make that dream nearly impossible for most seniors on fixed incomes. Home health aides in Florida cost upward of $27 per hour, and Medicare covers only limited, short-term home health services. Medicaid offers more comprehensive home and community-based services, but eligibility is restricted and wait lists in many Florida counties stretch months or even years. The result is that millions of seniors are forced into institutional care they do not want, at costs they cannot afford — often depleting a lifetime of savings within months.

Nursing home care in Florida averages over $100,000 per year for a semi-private room. Long-term care insurance, which was supposed to provide a private-market solution, has collapsed — premiums have skyrocketed by as much as 200% over the past decade, and most insurers have exited the market entirely. Meanwhile, the family caregivers who keep the system from completely breaking down — more than 53 million Americans, most of them women — receive little to no financial support, workplace protections, or respite care.

Chris Gleason will fight for federal incentives to expand home and community-based services through Medicaid, reducing institutional bias in long-term care funding. He will push for tax credits for family caregivers who provide unpaid care to aging parents and spouses — recognizing the billions of dollars in labor they contribute to the healthcare system every year. He will support expanding Medicare coverage of home health services beyond the current acute-care limitations, so that seniors recovering from surgery, managing chronic conditions, or dealing with mobility issues can receive care in their own homes instead of being warehoused in facilities. And he will advocate for federal-state partnerships to increase the supply of affordable senior housing, particularly in high-cost Florida markets where seniors are being priced out of the communities they built.

The federal lever: Medicaid's home and community-based services are jointly funded by the federal and state governments, with federal matching rates and eligibility standards set by Congress. Medicare home health benefit design is a federal statute. Caregiver tax credits and housing incentives require Congressional action. A U.S. Senator can shape all of these through legislation, appropriations, and oversight of CMS.

Evidence

Nearly 90% of seniors prefer to age in their own homes (AARP). Home health aide costs in Florida average $27+/hour, with limited Medicare coverage for home services. Nursing home care in Florida averages over $100,000/year for a semi-private room. More than 53 million Americans serve as unpaid family caregivers, contributing an estimated $470 billion annually in unpaid labor (AARP Public Policy Institute). Long-term care insurance premiums have increased up to 200% over the past decade, with most major insurers exiting the individual market. Medicaid home and community-based service wait lists in Florida can exceed 12+ months in many counties.

05

Secure the Trust Fund — Stop Using It as Washington's Slush Fund

For decades, Congress has treated the Social Security Trust Fund like a piggy bank. Surplus payroll tax revenues were supposed to be held in trust for future beneficiaries. Instead, the federal government borrowed that money, spent it on general operations, and replaced it with $2.7 trillion in IOUs — special-issue Treasury bonds that are obligations of the government to itself. The trust fund does not hold a single dollar in cash, investments, or real assets. It holds promises from the same institution that has a $36 trillion national debt and has not balanced a budget in over 20 years.

Now those promises are coming due. As the baby boom generation retires and benefit payments exceed incoming payroll tax revenue, the trust fund must redeem those bonds to cover the shortfall. But redeeming bonds requires the Treasury to raise the money through new taxes, new borrowing, or spending cuts elsewhere — none of which Congress has the political will to do. The result is a trust fund that exists on paper but has no independent financial capacity, and a system hurtling toward insolvency while politicians pretend the problem will solve itself.

Chris Gleason will fight for legislation that prohibits the federal government from borrowing against Social Security surpluses for general spending. He will push for a dedicated, independently managed Social Security investment fund that holds diversified, income-generating assets rather than government IOUs that are functionally worthless. He will co-sponsor a bipartisan Social Security Solvency Act that addresses the 75-year actuarial deficit through a combination of responsible reforms — including gradually increasing the payroll tax cap on high earners, adjusting the benefit formula to protect low-income retirees, and phasing in modest eligibility age adjustments for workers under 50 — without cutting a single dollar from the benefits of current retirees or anyone within 15 years of retirement. The math is clear: the longer Congress waits, the more painful the fix becomes. Chris Gleason refuses to wait.

The federal lever: The Social Security Trust Fund is entirely a creature of federal law. Its investment policy, borrowing provisions, and surplus management are governed by Title II of the Social Security Act and administered by the Treasury Department. Reforming trust fund management, adjusting the taxable earnings base, and modifying benefit formulas are all exclusively Congressional functions. A U.S. Senator sits at the center of this authority.

Evidence

The Social Security Trust Fund holds $2.7 trillion in special-issue Treasury bonds — not cash or market investments. The combined OASDI trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2034, with the OASI fund alone depleted by 2033 (2025 Trustees Report) — accelerated to 2032 by the One Big Beautiful Bill (Chief Actuary). The 75-year actuarial deficit is 3.82% of taxable payroll, equivalent to a $25 trillion shortfall. The worker-to-beneficiary ratio has declined from 5:1 in 1960 to 3:1 today and is projected to reach 2.5:1 by 2050. Peak 65: 4.1 million+ Americans are turning 65 annually through 2027, the largest retirement wave in history.

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Your Benefits. Your Future.

Five policies. One promise. Protect the benefits Florida seniors earned and the trust fund that belongs to them.

Chris Gleason will not let Washington politicians balance the budget on the backs of seniors. Stand with him.

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The Choice

The Status Quo vs. the Gleason Plan

Career Politicians Deliver

Pass laws that accelerate trust fund insolvency while handing seniors a temporary tax deduction as cover
Allow Medicare premiums to spike 9.7% in a single year while negotiating prices on only 10 drugs
Let Florida seniors lose $388 million a year to fraud while underfunding enforcement and prosecution
Force seniors into nursing homes they cannot afford because home care options are starved of funding
Borrow $2.7 trillion from the trust fund for general spending and replace it with IOUs to themselves

Gleason Will Deliver

Oppose any benefit cuts for current and near-term retirees and block privatization schemes that put benefits at market risk
Expand drug price negotiation to 50+ drugs by 2028 and cap out-of-pocket costs across all Medicare parts
Increase federal penalties for elder fraud, expand FBI Strike Forces in Florida, and create a national Senior Fraud Hotline
Expand Medicaid home care, create caregiver tax credits, and extend Medicare home health coverage beyond acute care
Prohibit trust fund raiding, create an independently managed investment fund, and pass bipartisan solvency reform

Share Your Story

Are you a senior worried about Social Security cuts? Have you or a loved one been targeted by fraud? Are rising Medicare costs forcing you to choose between medication and groceries? Your story matters. Tell us what you are facing, and help us build the case for change in Washington.

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This Is Your Moment

You held up your end of the deal. It is time Washington held up theirs.

Chris Gleason will fight for every Florida senior who paid into Social Security and Medicare — and he will never stop until the promise is kept.

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They earned it. They deserve it. Chris will fight for it.

Every dollar fuels the fight. Every volunteer multiplies our reach. Florida deserves a Senator who answers to the people.

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You've read every plank. These programs can be saved.

Help Chris protect Social Security, modernize Medicare, and fight for our seniors.

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