How You All Fairing On Health Care Increases?

I'm trying to retire but I can't until wife and I are accepted into Medicare part B so we can purchase our gap coverage and part D. Hand delivered our applications to SS 18 months ago and they lost them. Worked another year and re-applied a month ago. Still waiting to hear something. This is not optional, it is required by the government. I will be 70 in March and promised myself I would not be working at 70, perhaps yet another thing I am wrong about. What a *****, it's like dealing with the government. Oh wait------ wouldn't it be ironic if at 70 1/2 I have to start withdraws from my IRA but can't stop working because I can't get enrolled in Medicare B. The definitive first world problem-------;-)
DR-----trying to detail my grille in the rain.