Example Of Social Security Award Payment Letter

[pacmanx1]

Social Security Administration
Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance
Notice of Award

Office of Central Operations
1500 Woodlawn Drive
Baltimore, Maryland 21241-1500
Date: March 1, 2004
Claim Number: xxx-xx-xxxxHA

Matthew Claimant
123 Claimant Lane
Somewhere, NC 28996

Your are entitled to monthly disability benefits beginning June 2003. The Date You Became Disabled.

We found that you became disabled under our rules on December 7, 2002. However, you have to be disabled for 5 full calendar months in a row before you can be entitled to benefits. For these reasons, your first month of entitlement to benefits is June 2003.

What We Will Pay And When

• You will receive $7,356.00 on approximately March 7, 2004.
• This is the money you are due for June 2003 through February 2004.
• Your next payment of $1065.00, which is for March 2004, will be received on or about the second Wednesday of April 2004.
• After that, you will receive $1065.00 on or about the second Wednesday of each month.
• These and any future payments will go to the financial institution you selected. Please let us know if you change your mailing address so we can send you letters directly.

The day we make payments on this record is based on your date of birth.

Do You Think We Are Wrong?

If you think we are wrong, you have the right to appeal. We will correct any mistakes and will look at any new facts you have. A person who did not make the first decision will decide your case.

• You have 60 days to ask for an appeal.
• The 60 days start the day after you get this letter.
• You must have a good reason if you wait more than 60 days to ask for an appeal.

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/letter-award-notice.html

[USMC_HVEQ]

thank devil,

i'm 100% VA TDIU P&T so I doubt they would be charging medicare in my case, should be champva or whatever. My meds are all free via VA. If I must reenroll when I'm 65 so be it, but I'm 39. I'd rather the $110 go toward a monthly bill.

Is there a special form or procedure to disenroll from medicare part b?

[Guest]

Ham, I am very new to Medicare so my best advice would be try to find out all the info you can and then make a decision best for you and your family.

http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/get-parts-a-and-b/should-you-get-part-b/should-i-get-part-b.html#collapse-3156

I have employer or union coverage.

If you or your spouse (or family member if you're disabled) are still working and you have insurance through that employer or union, contact your employer or union benefits administrator to find out how your insurance works with Medicare. This includes federal or state employment, but not military service (unless on active duty). It may be to your advantage to delay Part B enrollment.

HVEQ, It's always best to seek advice from a Medicare Specialist before you make a decision. Since I am not a Medicare Specialist, I can only pass this info on. Use the button on the right to find someone to talk to in your state.

http://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs/penalty/part-b-late-enrollment-penalty.html

If you don't sign up for Part B when you're first eligible or if you drop Part B and then get it later, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn't sign up for it.

[john999]

I would be careful about dropping Medicare Part B. If your spouse has ChampVA then they must keep Part B after 65 to keep on getting ChampVA. Also Medicare Part A&B is really dirt cheap. I have Medicare A&B and Blue Cross. My wife has Blue Cross and ChampVA. Neither one of us has any copays or deductibles. When the wife hits 65 I think we will suspend the Blue Cross. She will have Medicare A&B as primary and ChampVA as secondary. If you are a disabled vet the best gift you can give your spouse is ChampVA. I think a vet's job is to get to 100% P&T because that is when all the benefits kick in for spouse and yourself. She/he will have better insurance than you do via the VA. Her ChampVA plan is a complete medical plan which is a stand alone plan. You can even get a ChampVA gap policy that pays what ChampVA does not pay for.

For most insurance Medicare becomes primary when you retire, so if you have employer insurance you can keep as part of your retirement plan then it will become secondary payer. When my wife gets Medicare then it will become her primary whereas Blue Cross is her primary now and ChampVa is secondary. Also almost every doctor takes Medicare assignment. This is not true for many forms of insurance. The doctor may not take assignment which means you have to pay upfront and go hunt your money.

John

[Carl the Engineer]

john999,

Thanks for your imput.

We are going to take B.

Will be scheduling a visit to SS office here shortly.

Will be scheduling a visit to my employer insurance, happens to be the same insurance that I will be buying my advantage plan from, so they should know what happens to the deductibles, etc. All of the hospitals and doctors in norhern WI are in cahoots together, so there are no options.

Ran the program through Medicare website and if we chose original Medicare where there is no drug plan our estimated out of pocket was $530,500.00. So, no, that aint going to happen.

Just upset that getting on Medicare (because you paid in your whole life) it is going to cost us money.

Thanks again,

Hamslice

[Chuck75]

Pete,

thank you for the post. I understand the generalities of Medicare Part B. I was more specifically asking if Vets, maybe you, getting 100% from the VA and use only the VA for Health coverage, have opted out? I'm 39yrs old, single, no dependents if that helps.

Again, I'm not trying to clog your thread up. I'm wondering if anyone has chosen to unenroll from Medicare Part B, since after 2 yrs on SSDI, it automatically kicked in.

thanks again

In my area, VA medical coverage is good for the usual prescription drugs. VA medical appointments at the local Clinic have always run around 30 days or more,

and the Choice program currently has a lot to be desired, due to limited providers. The area VAMC is over 50 miles away, and is of limited capability, less than the local community hospital.

A major area medical center is approximately 18 miles away, and can do/does really major surgery, including open heart and transplants.

The employers have mostly gone to a Medicare Advantage program when an employee retires, or hits 65. (Lowers the employer cost.)

CHAMPVA is not very useful, since many of the doctors will not accept it, due to payment problems. Part B is something that Medicare Advantage requires,

along with part D in many cases. Total cost per year for myself and spouse is ~$4,000. If we had been able to maintain the employer's health insurance, the monthly cost of it

would have risen to ~$2,000 a month.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Chuck75

[Philip Rogers]

A little warning for those who opt out of Medicare "B" - a guy, in my group, opted out about 8-10yrs ago. He now wants to sign up for "B" and they want him to pay up, for all the years he opted out for - somewhere around $10k-$12k.

I feel it's a small price to pay to have a choice, other than the VAMC. My annual raise has been paying for it. jmo

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