topic Re: A nice surprise from SS in Community Chat

A nice surprise from SS

KathyPet — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 17:20:55 GMT

I posted in the thread about SS that I received a letter from SSA saying that based on my husband's and my 2015 income we were going to be charged $130.00 a month for Medicare over and above the normal Medicare deduction starting THis Jan.because we exceeded the income limits to pay just the normal premium. MY husband died in Feb and I stopped taking my SS and started taking his benefit which he had already been receiving. NOw that he is gone my income has dropped dramatically because he was self employed and paying himself a salary from his business plus we had to take the profit he made from the business and add it to our personal return and pay taxes on that. YOu can appeal this surcharge if you have had a "life altering" event so I took his death certificate and the letter to the SSA office and they helped me fill out and submit the appeal form. TOday I logged onto the My SSA page to review the amount of benefits I have received this year in preparation for a meeting with my tax guy. THe page showed a one time payment of $939.60 being made today. I had no idea what this was about and the money is not in my bank acct so I called SS. IT seems that not only are they not going to add the surcharge starting in Jan but they were already deducting this surcharge from his (now my) SS payment based on our 2014 return and they refunded the amount of the surcharge back to Feb when he died. I had no idea that the surcharge was already being deducted based on our 2014 return so this was a very pleasant Christmas surprise! THe SSA rep said I should get a letter in the next few days explaining all this.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

lulu2 — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 17:29:48 GMT

@KathyPet

I can only imagine what a difficult year it has been for you. It is nice to read something good actually happened.

I hope you, your daughter and her family have a blessed Christmas. Also, may 2017 bring good health and contentment to all of you.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

IMW — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:43:42 GMT

Great to hear good news re gov't doing something right.

Happy Holiday!

Re: A nice surprise from SS

hckynut — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 04:05:29 GMT

@KathyPet wrote:
I posted in the thread about SS that I received a letter from SSA saying that based on my husband's and my 2015 income we were going to be charged $130.00 a month for Medicare over and above the normal Medicare deduction starting.

THis Jan.because we exceeded the income limits to pay just the normal premium. MY husband died in Feb and I stopped taking my SS and started taking his benefit which he had already been receiving. NOw that he is gone my income has dropped dramatically because he was self employed and paying himself a salary from his business plus we had to take the profit he made from the business and add it to our personal return and pay taxes on that.

YOu can appeal this surcharge if you have had a "life altering" event so I took his death certificate and the letter to the SSA office and they helped me fill out and submit the appeal form. TOday I logged onto the My SSA page to review the amount of benefits I have received this year in preparation for a meeting with my tax guy. THe page showed a one time payment of $939.60 being made today.

I had no idea what this was about and the money is not in my bank acct so I called SS. IT seems that not only are they not going to add the surcharge starting in Jan but they were already deducting this surcharge from his (now my) SS payment based on our 2014 return and they refunded the amount of the surcharge back to Feb when he died.

I had no idea that the surcharge was already being deducted based on our 2014 return so this was a very pleasant Christmas surprise! THe SSA rep said I should get a letter in the next few days explaining all this.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

151949 — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 13:44:35 GMT

You have mentioned being nervous about this so it is good it has been resolved.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

terrier3 — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 13:52:04 GMT

2017 is going to be a big year. SS and Medicare are going to be discussed...a LOT.

People are going to say they are outmoded, inefficient and not necessary. People want to get rid of Medicare and replace it with a voucher...you will have to get private insurance and pay whatever isn't covered in the voucher out of your own pocket. SS also - some want to privatize that too and have people manage their own money through brokers and Wall Street firms.

IMO, two of the most efficient, responsive agencies that do the most good are SS and Medicare.

Everyone who agrees needs to SPEAK OUT NOW!!!

Re: A nice surprise from SS

Hayfield — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 14:02:34 GMT

KathyPet--I'm so glad that SS was able to fix the problem and I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. That alone is enough to deal with. Good luck to you!

Re: A nice surprise from SS

Mominohio — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 14:20:03 GMT

@terrier3 wrote:
2017 is going to be a big year. SS and Medicare are going to be discussed...a LOT.

People are going to say they are outmoded, inefficient and not necessary. People want to get rid of Medicare and replace it with a voucher...you will have to get private insurance and pay whatever isn't covered in the voucher out of your own pocket. SS also - some want to privatize that too and have people manage their own money through brokers and Wall Street firms.

IMO, two of the most efficient, responsive agencies that do the most good are SS and Medicare.

Everyone who agrees needs to SPEAK OUT NOW!!!

Sorry there is nothing attached to the federal government that is efficient or adequately responsive. Nothing.

OP, so glad this was resolved in your favor!

Re: A nice surprise from SS

bri20 — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 14:59:58 GMT

Glad that was resolved in your favor.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

Maudelyn — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 15:35:46 GMT

@Mominohio wrote:
@terrier3 wrote:
2017 is going to be a big year. SS and Medicare are going to be discussed...a LOT.

People are going to say they are outmoded, inefficient and not necessary. People want to get rid of Medicare and replace it with a voucher...you will have to get private insurance and pay whatever isn't covered in the voucher out of your own pocket. SS also - some want to privatize that too and have people manage their own money through brokers and Wall Street firms.

IMO, two of the most efficient, responsive agencies that do the most good are SS and Medicare.

Everyone who agrees needs to SPEAK OUT NOW!!!

Sorry there is nothing attached to the federal government that is efficient or adequately responsive. Nothing.

OP, so glad this was resolved in your favor!

You wouldn't be saying that if you depended on a government check every month. Or if you were ever in a disaster. The gubmint seems pretty a-ok when you're in a crisis.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

Mmsfoxxie — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 15:35:55 GMT

I'm so happy with this positive outcome @KathyPet after all you have been through. When you get the letter, you'll know that what was said on the phone is true. I have found that if something was said to me on the phone without that follow up letter, it didn't happen. Good luck to you.

Re: A nice surprise from SS

Beth-QVC — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 16:33:17 GMT

this thread is closed for commenting before it goes political...