Not the same – distinct systems

In 2023, when you work, about 85 cents of every Social Security tax dollar you pay goes to a trust fund that pays monthly benefits to current retirees and their families and to surviving spouses and children of workers who have died. About 15 cents goes to a trust fund that pays benefits to people with disabilities and their families.4 From these trust funds, we also pay the costs of managing our programs. We’re one of the most efficient agencies in the federal government, and we’re working to make it better every day. Of each Social Security tax dollar you pay, we spend less than 1 penny to manage the program. The entire amount of Medicare taxes you pay goes to a trust fund that pays some costs of hospital and related care for all Medicare beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, not Social Security, manages Medicare.