“I’m not done yet.” We hear that a lot in the neighborhood we live in – a Del Webb community for 55 and older adults.
Many of those who live here are still working in some capacity. They are also out and about walking, running, working out in our gym, swimming laps, dancing with the dance club, and hosting dinner parties where we gather and talk about life and the latest news headlines.
In other words, we are not done yet!! Our minds and our bodies are still going strong which is the goal for all of us as we age.
However, for years, the “system” has quietly sent a different message—slow down… or we’ll take something away.
That’s why what Rick Scott announced this week matters.
His Freedom to Work Act goes after a policy that never made much sense to begin with—reducing Social Security benefits for seniors who choose to keep earning. People who did everything right, paid in for decades, and then get told there’s a limit to how productive they’re allowed to be.
It’s an old rule from a different time, back when the assumption was that once you reached a certain age, you stepped aside.
But that’s not how it works anymore.
Today’s seniors are starting businesses, mentoring young entrepreneurs, filling critical workforce gaps, and staying engaged in ways that strengthen communities—especially here in Florida. They’re not a burden on the system. In many ways, they’re holding it up.
And Senator Scott is recognizing that reality.
He’s not just talking about seniors as a voting bloc. He’s treating them like what they are—experienced, capable, and still very much in the game.
Because the truth is, there’s something fundamentally off about telling someone:
“You can have what you earned… but only if you stop earning.”
That’s not how you encourage independence. That’s how you discourage it.
This bill is a step toward fixing that—and it’s a good one.
UP NEXT — Another ding to be reviewed…
You work a little more, maybe because you want to, maybe because you need to… and then the notice shows up. Your Medicare premiums just went up. Not because you did something wrong—but because you did something productive.
Different program. Same results. Imagine having a sliding scale for your healthcare premiums based on your income? Does that make sense?
We are asking Senator Scott to take up the next conversation and…
Don’t ding our Medicare premiums if we work.
If we’re going to say we value independence, then we should mean it all the way through—not just until the next line item kicks in and takes it back.
Senator Scott opened the door on this one and we are thankful he did.
Now let’s keep walking through it.
Because in a state like Florida, where experience still shows up ready to work every morning, the last thing we should be doing is asking it to sit down or penalize us for being productive citizens.
