Social Security 101 Review, Q&A, and more
On April 22, we held our first live webinar with Lizna Odhwani from Social Security to give you comprehensive information and answer your questions, such as
When are you eligible to receive retirement benefits?
How does early retirement affect your benefits?
Do you qualify for disability, survivors, and spouse benefits?
How do you get the most from your benefit?
What is the future of Social Security?
When should you file for Medicare?
For anyone who missed the live webinar, you can catch up with the recording and additional resources.
Watch the recording:
Additional Q & A
If a husband who is eligible to retire but has decided to wait until age 70 but he dies, what can the wife get? To clarify my question. I am 66 but still working. I plan to wait until age 70 to claim SS. If I die before age 70 is my wife eligible for any of my benefits.
Yes. The spouse doesn't necessarily have to be on benefits. As long as his wife is at least 60, she can get benefits off his record. It depends on her age at the time for percentage.
My ex husband is deceased and I want to get his benefits, how do I find out how much I will receive I was married more than 10 yrs.
If you are not remarried, you can still get it, it just depends on your age. You can remarry after age 60 and still receive full benefits. If you remarry before 60, your benefits will depend on your current spouse.
How do you defer part B: Medical Insurance for Medicare?
If you are insured under a CURRENT employer or through a spouse's CURRENT employer, you can defer past the age of 65 and you can enroll during the special enrollment period, which is 90 days before you and your spouse retire.
Where can I get help deciding on what Part B, C,and or D?
We don't get involved with C and D as that is up to private insurance. Even though Social Security is not able to provide guidance on Medicare Parts C and D we can refer you to Other Medicare resources which are available as you make decisions about Medicare. For example, every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program to help you, at no charge, navigate your choices with unbiased state-specific guidance. Additional information is at Medicare.gov.
If you already have Medicare Part A and wish to sign up for Part B under a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), complete forms CMS 40-B and CMS L564. If your employer cannot sign the CMS-L564, SSA can use alternative documents to obtain evidence from your employer, Group Health Plan (GHP), or Large Group Health Plan (LGHP). Return the completed forms to your Social Security office by mail or fax. For more information, see the fact sheet, How to Apply for Medicare Part B During Your Special Enrollment Period.
Is the $144/month the same for everyone or is it different for Tricare for life based on previoius salaries?
The $144/month for Medicare is the base premium. If you've made over a certain amount in the past and you've recently retired, you could possibly still only pay $144/month as that's a life-changing event. If we're ever making you pay more than $144/month, it is based on the adjusted gross income from two years before.
My wife never changed her name with SS when we were married many years ago. She changed her name to my last name when we were married. Can anything be done by phone? or do we need to wait until the office opens?
If she's trying to change her name on her social security card, we'll need the marriage certificate, driver's license, and if she has anything under her previous maiden name. It depends on how long you've been married and at what point you are changing the name. If more than 5 years, you may need other documentation under the maiden name, such as a passport and school transcript. We can accept original documents by mail, but if you are not comfortable to mail those documents, you can wait until the office reopens.
There are many Part b plans trying to get my business. How can I get help deciding on who to go with. I hear a lot about the AARP plans but there are many of those. How can I get help?
We cannot help you with deciding which private company to go with, but we can offer some referrals.
Other Medicare resources are available as you make decisions about Medicare. For example, every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program to help you, at no charge, navigate your choices with unbiased state-specific guidance. Additional information is at Medicare.gov.
If you (or your spouse) are younger than 65, you have health insurance options: COBRA (that may allow you to keep an employer health plan), the Affordable Care Act, the Veterans Administration, or Medicaid. SSA employees are unable to answer questions about these programs.
Will the webinar slides be available?
APPLYING FOR BENEFITS
When you decide to apply for benefits, use the Checklist for Online Medicare, Retirement, & Spouses Applications or Checklist for Online Adult Disability Application to help you prepare. If you are filing for disability benefits, you may wish to review and print the adult Disability Starter Kit. The easiest way to file for benefits is to use the online application for Retirement or Disability. If you are disabled and at least 62 but younger than full retirement age, you can file for retirement and disability benefits with the same application. You cannot apply online for survivor benefits.
For Medicare, if you are filing for retirement up to three months before your 65th birthday, your retirement application is also your application for Medicare A and B. If you are at least 65 but are not ready to take your cash Social Security benefit, you can apply online for Medicare only. Before you are ready to start your retirement benefit, you should review the fact sheet, Retirement Information for Medicare Beneficiaries.
You can check the status of your benefit application with your my Social Security account. Other online services include our office locator and a searchable database of Frequently Asked Questions. You can find answers to many of your questions, including:
· Can I work and get Social Security retirement and survivor benefits?
For more information about Social Security’s programs and benefits or to schedule an appointment to speak with a claims representative, call Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.