Medicare Guide by SouthwestIowaNews.com

Your Guide To

Medicare

Inside... Is your Medicare ready for 2015 . . . 3 2015 Medicare Part B premiums, deductibles remain the same . . . . . . . . 3 Rights & protections .............. 4 How doctors are paid . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Applying for Medicare . . . . . . . 8 A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE DENISON BULLETIN AND DENISON REVIEW | Friday, January 30, 2015

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Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

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January 30, 2015

Your Guide to Medicare

Is your Medicare ready for 2015? Did you make resolutions for the new year? Following are some easy ones you can keep to make sure you are ready for the rest of 2015. 1. Check to see that you have the right insurance card to use when you go to the doctor. Did you change your health or drug plan during Medicare Open Enrollment? If you did and you didn’t receive your new card or welcome packet by January 1, contact your plan for help. If you need to fill a prescription right away, find out how to fill a prescription without your card. If you changed from a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) back to Original Medicare, use your red, white and blue Medicare card when you go to the doctor. Get a new card if yours is lost or damaged, or if you need to update your information. 2. Budget for Medicare Part B deductible. Remem-

ber, if you have Medicare Part B and you’re in Original Medicare, you’ll have to meet your deductible before your Medicare coverage pays for services and supplies. The Medicare Part B deductible is $147, the same as it was in 2014. Plan your health care budget to account for the increased cost of doctor visits for the time that it will take to cover your deductible. 3. Schedule appointments to get any preventive tests or screenings. Medicare covers all sorts of preventive services to keep you healthy and screenings to check for health problems, and many are covered each year at no cost to you. Ask your doctor when you should schedule your wellness visit and other screenings. You can also use MyMedicare.gov to track your visits and make a calendar of preventive services.

Talk to your doctor about these covered preventive services to find out what’s right for your health needs. 4. Make sure your drug or health plan meet your needs. If not, Medicare has a way for you to get the coverage you want instead of having to wait for the next Open Enrollment. At any time during the year, you can switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that has a 5-star rating. Plan ratings are based on member surveys, information from doctors and health care providers, and other sources. The plan ratings are scores that show the quality and performance of the plan, on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest rated plans. You can make this change once per calendar year. Remember to check www.medicare.gov for the latest Medicare news and information.

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2015 Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles remain the same The 2015 standard Medicare Part B monthly premium and deductible has remained the same as for the last two years. Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and other items. For the approximately 49 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Part B, premiums and deductibles are remaining unchanged in 2015 at $104.90 and $147, respectively. This leaves more of seniors’ cost-of-living adjustment from Social Security in their pockets. According to the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, as compared to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections for 2015 made in 2009, premiums will be more than $125 lower over the course of a year. Over the past four years, per capita Medicare spending growth has averaged 0.8 percent annually, much lower than the 3.1 percent annual increase in per capita GDP over the same period.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also announced that for the small number of beneficiaries who pay Medicare Part A monthly premiums, their monthly bill will drop $19 in 2015 to $407. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility and some home health care services. Although about 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not pay a Part A premium since they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment, enrollees age 65 and over and certain persons with disabilities who have fewer than 30 quarters of coverage pay a monthly premium in order to receive coverage under Part A. Beneficiaries who have between 30 and 39 quarters of coverage may buy into Part A at a reduced monthly premium rate which is $224 for 2015, a decrease of $10 from 2014. The Medicare Part A deductible that beneficiaries pay when admitted to the hospital is $1,260 in 2015, a modest increase of $44 from the 2014 $1,216 deductible. The Part A deductible cov-

ers beneficiaries’ share of costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period. Beneficiaries must pay an additional $315 per day for days 61 through 90 in 2015, and $630 per day for hospital stays beyond the 90th day. For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the daily co-insurance for days 21 through 100 in a benefit period will be $157.50 in 2015, compared to $152.00 in 2014. Since 2007, beneficiaries with higher incomes have paid higher Part B monthly premiums. These incomerelated monthly premium rates, which affect less than five percent of people with Medicare, will also remain the same as they were in 2014. States have programs that pay some or all of beneficiaries’ premiums and coinsurance for certain people who have Medicare and a limited income. Information is available at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800633-4227) and, for hearing and speech impaired, at TTY/TDD: 1-877-4862048.

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Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

Rights & protections for everyone with Medicare Social Security benefit increased 1.7% for 2015 Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 64 million Americans increased 1.7 percent in 2015. The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) began with benefits that more than 58 million Social Security beneficiaries received in January 2015. Increased payments to more than eight million SSI beneficiaries began on December 31, 2014. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some other changes that take effect in January each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) increased to $118,500 from $117,000. Of the estimated 168 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2015, about 10 million will pay higher taxes because of the increase in the taxable maximum. Information about Medicare changes for 2015 is available at www.Medicare.gov. The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

• Be treated with dignity and respect at all times. • Be protected from discrimination. Every company or agency that works with Medicare must obey the law and can’t treat you differently because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion or sex. • Have your personal and health information kept private. • Get information in a way you understand from Medicare, health care providers, and, under certain circumstances, contractors. • Get understandable information about Medicare to help you make health care decisions, including what’s covered, what Medicare pays, how much you have to pay and what to do if you want

to file a complaint or appeal. • Have your questions about Medicare answered. • Have access to doctors, specialists and hospitals. • Learn about your treatment choices in clear language that you can understand, and participate in treatment decisions. • Get health care services in a language you understand and in a culturally-sensitive way. • Get emergency care when and where you need it. • Get a decision about health care payment, coverage of services, or prescription drug coverage. • When a claim is filed, you get a notice from Medicare or from your Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), other Medi-

care health plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) letting you know what it will and won’t cover. • If you disagree with the decision of your claim, you have the right to file an appeal. • Request a review (appeal) of certain decisions about health care payment, coverage of services, or prescription drug coverage. • If you disagree with a decision about your claims or services, you have the right to appeal. • File complaints (sometimes called “grievances”), including complaints about the quality of your care. Source: http://medicare.gov/claims-andappeals/medicare-rights/everyone/rightsfor-everyone.html

Download claims with Medicare’s Blue Button MyMedicare.gov’s Blue Button provides an easy way to download your personal health information to a file. Once in your MyMedicare.gov account, you can download the file of personal data and save the file on your personal computer. After you have saved it, you can import that same file into other computer-based personal health management tools. The Blue Button is safe, secure, reliable, and easy to use. Download your health information • Log in to MyMedicare.gov and look for the Blue Button as you search claims and view your On the Go Report. • Select the Blue Button to create a downloadable file with your MyMedicare.gov information. • Select the information you wish to download and select submit.

• Save the file as either a PDF or a TXT file to your computer. • When using mobile apps to download your Blue Button record, the above steps may be automated. Why download my health information? • Gives you control over your health information. • Makes it easy to share with your doctors, caregivers or anyone else you choose. • Once you’ve used the Blue Button, you can use a variety of health applications and services to analyze your health information. Learn more about these useful tools and how to protect your health information once it’s in your hands. Safeguarding your data Since you control access to your downloaded health information, it’s your responsibility to protect it. You should treat your

personal and health information just like you would your banking or other confidential information. Following are some important things to remember: • You may want to download your information to a CD, flash drive or a mobile app. Encrypted and password protected flash drives, CDs and mobile apps are recommended. • If you want to send your information via email, you should encrypt the message. • Keep paper copies in a safe and secure place that you can control. • If you think your information may have been downloaded by someone else, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Source: http://medicare.gov/claims-andappeals/medicare-rights/everyone/rightsfor-everyone.html

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January 30, 2015

Your Guide to Medicare

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Social Security basic facts In 2014, over 59 million Americans received nearly $863 billion in Social Security benefits. Social Security is the major source of income for most of the elderly. Nine out of 10 individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits. Social Security benefits represent about 38% of the income of the elderly. Among elderly Social Security beneficiaries, 52% of married couples and 74% of unmarried persons receive 50% or more of their income from Social Security. Among elderly Social Security beneficiaries, 22% of married couples and about 47% of unmarried persons rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income. Social Security provides more than just retirement benefits. Retired workers and their dependents account for 74% of total benefits paid in December 2013. Disabled workers and their dependents account for 16% of total benefits paid in December 2013. About 90 percent of workers age 21 to 64 in covered employment in 2013 and their families have protec-

tion in the event of a long-term disability. Just over 1 in 4 of today’s 20 year-olds will become disabled before reaching age 67. 68% of the private sector workforce has no longterm disability insurance. Survivors of deceased workers account for 10% of total benefits paid in December 2013. About 1 in 8 of today’s 20 year-olds will die before reaching age 67. About 96% of persons aged 20-49 who worked in covered employment in 2013 have survivors insurance protection for their young children and the sur-

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Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

Social Security to expand office hours Social Security announced, as a result of Congress’ approval of the fiscal year 2015 budget, that the agency will expand its hours nationwide and offices will be open to the public for an additional hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, effective March 16, 2015. A field office that is usually open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will remain open until 4 p.m. Offices will continue to close to the public at noon every Wednesday so employees have time to complete current work and reduce backlogs. “The expansion of office hours reaffirms our commitment to providing the people we serve the option of topnotch, face-to-face assistance in field offices even as we

work to expand online services for those who prefer that flexibility,” said Carolyn W. Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security. “The public expects and deserves world-class customer service, and thanks to approved funding, I am pleased we will continue our tradition of exceptional service.” In recent years, Social Security reduced public office hours due to congressional budget cuts, growing backlogs and staffing losses. The agency began recovery in fiscal year 2014 by replacing some field office staffing losses and providing overtime support to process critical work. With the commitment of resources in fiscal year 2015,

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the agency is able to restore some service hours to the public. Most Social Security business does not require a visit to a local field office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability and Medicare benefits, creating a my Social Security account, replacing a Medicare card or reporting a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available anytime at www.socialsecurity.gov. Social Security also offers assistance via a toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (voice) and 1-800-325-0778 (TTY). Representatives are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Saving money on health costs: Medicare’s extra help Have you ever found yourself skipping a day of your medication or cutting your pills in half to make your supply last a little longer? Or, have you put off filling a prescription because you’re having trouble making ends meet? If so, Medicare can help. Medicare has a special program called “Extra Help.” If you have limited income and resources, you can sign up to get help paying for things like your monthly premium, annual deductible and prescription copayments in your Medicare drug plan. In 2015, drug costs for most people who qualify will be no more than $2.65 for each generic drug and $6.60 for each brand-name drug. Even if you’re not sure you qualify, it’s worth filling out an application to see. Many people with Medicare may be eligible for the Extra Help program but don’t know it. Are you or a family member one of them? It’s easy and free to apply for Extra Help. Here’s how: apply online, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users should call 1 800 325 0778) or apply at your local Social Security office.

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Your Guide to Medicare

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Obama administration wants to dramatically change how doctors are paid by Jason Millman, Washington Post News Service The Obama administration on Monday, January 26, announced an ambitious goal to overhaul the way doctors are paid, tying their fees more closely to the quality of care rather than the quantity. Rather than pay more money to Medicare doctors simply for every procedure they perform, the government will also evaluate whether patients are healthier, among other measures. The goal is for half of all Medicare payments to be handled this way by 2018. Monday’s announcement marked the administration’s biggest effort yet to shape how doctors are compensated across the health-care system. As the country’s largest payer of health-care services, Medicare influences medical care generally, meaning the changes being initiated by the administration will likely be felt in doctor’s offices and hospitals across the country. There’s widespread agreement among policymakers that the U.S. health-care system needs to move away from rewarding doctors and hospitals for volume and focus more on the value of the care being offered. Doctors currently get paid set fees for every procedure they perform, regardless of whether patients get better. In addition to improving patient care, the government also hopes to cut wasteful spending. Medicare’s current payment system, known as fee-forservice, cost taxpayers $362 billion last year, between the program’s hospital insurance and medical insurance programs, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Critics say the traditional payment scheme fails to discourage overuse of health-care services, without holding providers accountable for whether patients’ get healthier. Medicare has been experimenting with payment models for more than a decade, and the 2010 Affordable Care

Act provided a broad expansion of payment models rewarding providers based on value. The programs include lump sum (or “bundled”) payments for treating a patient throughout an episode of care, like a knee replacement surgery. The most high-profile effort has been with accountable care organizations (ACOs), which are groups of providers who share in the savings, or losses, for managing patients on a budget. Medicare has also set separate goals for more traditional Medicare payments to be tied to some kind of quality program. By 2016, the agency wants 85 percent of these payments tied to programs that, for example, penalize hospitals for excessive readmissions or reward hospitals for hitting quality metrics. The agency said alternative payment structures now represent about 20 percent of Medicare payments, and that will rise to 30 percent by 2016 under goals set by the Obama administration on Monday. CMS said this marked the first time that Medicare set specific goals for expanding the scope of alternative payment systems in the program. “Those models will depend on how well providers care for their patients, instead of how much care they provide,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell in a press conference. Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a consumer advocacy organization, said the payment models will force health-care providers to better coordinate care. “We’re not just talking about payment that lowers costs,” she said. “The payment changes are designed to change the way that we deliver care in ways that will make that care work better for patients and families.” This shift to value-based payments had already been taking place in the private sector before the Affordable Care Act. About 20 percent of provider payments by Blue Cross insurers are through contracts that try to prioritize

quality over quantity, their trade association reported last summer. Aetna said 28 percent of its reimbursements are now in valued-based contracts, and it expects that rate to jump to 75 percent by 2020. Many have viewed this broader shift as long overdue, as health care spending has grown to about one-sixth of the U.S. economy. But it’s still uncertain how well these payment approaches work. “We still know very little about how best to design and implement (value-based payment) programs to achieve stated goals and what constitutes a successful program,” concluded a 2014 Rand Corporation study funded by HHS. The report, which reviewed pay-for-performance models implemented over the past decade, said improvements were “typically modest” and often hard to evaluate. Some early efforts to implement these value-based payment programs have shown mixed results. Two high-profile Affordable Care Act programs encouraging health-care providers to work as accountable care organizations have resulted in modest savings to the Medicare program so far, about $877 million. But at least 13 of the 32 organizations that participated in the most ambitious of these efforts, the Pioneer ACO program, have dropped out of the program in the past two years. Most of these groups left to join programs with less financial risk. A representative for the American Hospital Association said the trade group supports the administration’s goals. Robert Wah, president of the American Medical Association, said members of the country’s largest doctor’s group were “encouraged” by Medicare’s efforts to reform how care is delivered, as they’ve become increasingly concerned by bureaucratic requirements. “There is a great deal of regulatory and administrative burden on (doctors) currently,” Wah said. “We’re in a period of great change, and great change causes anxiety.”

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Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

Retirement Planner

Applying for Medicare only From http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/justmedicare.htm If you are within three months of age 65 or older and not ready to start your monthly cash benefits yet, you can use the online retirement application to sign up just for Medicare and apply for your retirement or spouse’s benefits later. Before you decide, you need to be sure that you understand how waiting until later will affect the lifetime benefits paid on your record and your health insurance coverage. Note: If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) and/ or health insurance based on current employment, you may want to ask your personnel office or insurance company how signing up for Medicare will affect you. If you live to the average life expectancy for someone your age, it doesn’t matter whether you choose to start receiving benefits this month, at age 66, at age 70 or any age in between. You will still receive about the same amount in lifetime benefits. If you apply for benefits before full retirement age, currently age 66, your benefits will be reduced because you are taking them earlier. Example: If your retirement benefits start at age 65, your benefit will be 93.3 percent of what you would receive at full retirement age. However, you would receive benefits for 12 more months over your lifetime. If you delay receiving retirement benefits until after you reach full retirement age (any month up to age 70), you can increase your benefit by accumulating Delayed Retirement Credits. If your full retirement age is 66 and you wait until age 70, your benefit will be 132 percent of your full retirement age benefit. If you have family members who qualify for benefits,

Other things to consider What is the best age to start your benefits? The answer is that there is no one “best age” for everyone and, ultimately, it is your choice. You should make an informed decision about when to apply for benefits based on your individual and family circumstances. Your monthly benefit amount can differ substantially based on the age when you start receiving benefits. If you decide to start benefits: • before your full retirement age, your benefit will be smaller but you will receive it for a longer period of time. • at your full retirement age or later, you will receive a larger monthly benefit for a shorter period of time. The amount you receive when you first get benefits sets the base for the amount you will receive for the rest of your life. Following are some other things you may want to

a delay means you would lose some of the benefits they might have received. However, delaying benefits also increases the maximum monthly survivor’s benefit your spouse may receive. Even if you plan to continue working, you may still be able to receive some benefits. If you are under full retirement age and you earn over a certain amount, the excess earnings will be deducted from your benefits. If you delay receiving benefits until the month you reach full retirement age, you may receive your benefits with no limit on your earnings. For more information to help you decide the best time to

consider when you make that decision: • Are you still working? • Do you come from a long-lived family? • How is your health? • Will you still have health insurance? • Are you eligible for benefits on someone else’s record? • Do you have other income to support you if you decide to delay taking your benefits? • Will other family members qualify for benefits with you on your record? Accidents or unexpected changes in your circumstances can’t be ruled out, of course, so your final decision may be based on your “best guess” about your future. Representatives can help you explore your options. Call the toll-free telephone number, 1-800-772-1213, (TTY 1-800-325-0778) about three months before the date you think you want your benefits to start.

start benefits, read the sidebar, “Other things to consider”. Medicare is the nation’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. Hospital insurance (Part A) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay), some home health care and hospice care. Note: Most people age 65 or older are eligible for free Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) if they have worked and paid Medicare taxes long enough. You should sign up for Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) three months

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Your Guide to Medicare

Page 9

Retirement Planner

before your 65th birthday, whether or not you want to begin receiving retirement benefits. Medical insurance (Part B) helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies that are not covered by hospital insurance. Note: Anyone who is eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) can enroll in Medicare medical insurance (Part B) by paying a monthly premium. Some beneficiaries with higher incomes will pay a higher monthly Part B premium. When you sign up for Medicare, you will be asked if you want to enroll in Medical Insurance (Part B). If you do not choose to enroll in Medicare Part B and then decide to do so later, your coverage may be delayed and you may have to pay a higher monthly premium, unless you qualify for a “Special Enrollment Period.” If you are age 65 or older and your medical insurance coverage is under a group health plan based on your, or your spouse’s, current employment, you may not need to apply for Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B) at age 65. You may qualify for a “Special Enrollment Period” (SEP) that will let you sign up for Part B during: • Any month you remain covered under the group health plan and your, or your spouse’s, employment continues; or • The eight-month period that begins with the month after your group health plan coverage or the employment it is based on ends, whichever comes first. Exception: If your group health plan coverage or the employment it is based on ends during your initial enrollment period for Medicare Part B, you do not qualify for a SEP. Your initial enrollment period starts three months before the month you attain age 65 and ends three months after the month you turn 65. For more about enrollment periods for Part B, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/justmedicare.htm and read the information about general and special enrollment periods in the “Medicare” booklet or talk to your personnel office before you decide. Note: If you already have Medicare Part A and wish to sign up for Medicare Part B, you cannot sign up online. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office to sign up for Medicare Part B only.

How to apply for benefits From socialsecurity.gov Individuals can apply for retirement, spouse’s, exspouse’s or Medicare benefits online at socialsecurity. gov or by phone at 1-800-772-1213. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call TTY 1-800-325-0778. Individuals can also apply in person by visiting their local Social Security office. Log onto www.socialsecurity. gov/locator. Individuals should call first to make an appointment. Reminders: You must be at least 61 years and 9 months old to apply for retirement benefits. If you are already age 62, you may be able to start your benefits in the month you apply. You should apply for benefits no more than four months before the date you want your benefits to start. Benefits are paid the month after they are due. (If your benefits start in April, you will receive your first benefit payment in May.) If you are not getting Social Security and you are not

ready to retire, you should still use the online retirement benefit application to sign up for just Medicare three months before your 65th birthday. When you apply, be ready to supply the information needed to approve your application for these benefits: retirement or Medicare, spouse’s or divorced spouse’s, child’s. You may be asked to provide certain documents to show that you are eligible and to help decide how much your benefits should be. If you do not have a birth certificate, you may request one from the state where you were born. For details on where to write in your state, check “Where to Write for Vital Records” at http://www.cdc. gov/nchs/w2w.htm. You should also bring along your bank information so you can sign up for direct deposit. If you do not have a bank account, you can sign up for the Direct Express card program. With Direct Express, deposits from federal payments are made directly to the card.

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Page 10

Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

How to apply online for Social Security retirement benefits Social Security offers an online retirement application, at https://secure.ssa. gov/iClaim/rib, that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. You can apply from the comfort of your home or office at a time most convenient for you. There’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you’re done. You do not have to sign forms, and usually no documentation is required. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any further information is needed. You can apply online for retirement benefits or benefits as a spouse if you: w are at least 61 years and 9 months old; w are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record; w have not already applied for retirement benefits; and w want your benefits to start no more than four months in the future. (We cannot process your application if you apply for benefits more than 4 months in advance.) If you already have Medicare, you can still use this application to apply for retirement benefits. If you don’t have Medicare but are within three months of age 65, you can use this application to apply for both retirement and Medicare, or just Medicare, if you aren’t ready to receive retirement benefits yet. Note: If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) and/or health insurance based on current employment, you should contact your personnel office or your insurance company to find out how signing up for Medicare will affect you.

The basics Before you apply for retirement benefits, you should know about certain Social Security “basics”: Your “full retirement age” - Depending on your date of birth, that may be between age 66 and 67. This could affect the amount of your benefits and when you want the benefits to start. When you can start benefits - You may start receiving benefits as early as age 62 or as late as age 70. Benefits are reduced for age - Your monthly benefits will be reduced if you start them any time before “full retirement age.” Working while you receive benefits - If you elect to receive benefits before you reach full retirement age, you should understand how continuing to work can affect your benefits.

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Delayed retirement credits - Delayed retirement credits may be added to your benefits if they start after your full retirement age. Life expectancy - If you live to the average life expectancy for someone your age, you will receive about the same amount in lifetime benefits whether you choose to start receiving benefits at age 62, full retirement age, age 70 or any age in between. Social Security urges applicants to use the Retirement Estimator, which can be found at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ retire2/estimator.htm, to get a personal estimate of how much your benefits will be at different ages and “stop work” dates before you begin the application. Please read Other Things to Consider, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/otherthings.htm, for information

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of other things you should think about when you make your decision when to begin your benefits. Some of the things you should think about before you decide include how long you think you will receive benefits, your health and whether anyone else in your family can get benefits on your record. You can find out what documents and information you need to apply by going online at http://www.socialsecurity. gov/retirement/about.htm#a0=2 and reading the “Checklist for Online Medicare, Retirement, and Spouses Applications.” Once you select the “Apply for Retirement Benefits” button, you’ll go through a series of screens that will ask you questions about yourself, your family and your work. You can complete your application in a single session or start the application and finish it sometime later. If you get stuck on a question, you can skip it and go back later. When you get to the end of the application, you will receive a message if you still need to answer any questions. If you can’t complete your online application because you need to look something up, or for any other reason, you can “Return to a Saved Application” later without losing the information you entered. Note: You may not be able to use periods, commas and other special characters when you answer some of the questions. If you use a character that a field cannot accept and you try to go to another page, you will get a message that tells you there is a problem and what caused it. Example: You cannot use a period as part of an address. If you type “27 N. Main St.” instead of “27 N Main St” in an address field, you

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Your Guide to Medicare

will get a message when you try to go to the next page. After you completely fill out the application, you will be asked to confirm the truthfulness of the answers to the best of your knowledge, under penalty of perjury, and your response will be recorded. You can be held liable for intentionally providing false or misleading information. You can sign the application electronically by clicking on the “Submit Now” button. It will appear on the screen after you have finished filling out the application. Note: The only person who can “sign” the application is the person who is applying for benefits. A legal representative or person helping cannot sign the application. Using the online application has a number of benefits: w You can avoid trips to your Social Security office. That saves you time and money. w You can answer questions on your schedule. You don’t have to complete the application the same day that you started it. You can start and stop the application without losing any of the information you entered. w You will have a chance to correct mistakes. You can go back and make changes until you finish the application. You’ll also be given a chance to review your answers and go back and make corrections before you submit the application. If you have trouble answering a question, you can find additional information at the More Info: links. You don’t need to mail your application. When you’re finished, just click “Submit Now” to send your application

to Social Security. You’ll get a receipt for your online application. You can print the receipt and keep for your records. You can check the status of your online application. Your receipt includes a confirmation number you can use to check the status of your application. However, if you choose to apply for benefits more than two months in the future, you will not be able to check the status of your application until one month before you start receiving benefits. For security reasons, viewing each page is limited by time. You will receive a warning after 25 minutes without doing anything, and you will be able to extend your time on the page. After the third warning, you must move to another page or your time will run out and your work on that page will be lost. Once your application is received, it will be reviewed. After the review, you will be contacted if you need to supply more information or your documents need to be seen. You will also be notified if you may be able to receive benefits on another person’s record, such as your spouse, or if other family members may be able to receive benefits on your work record. When all of the necessary information and documents are submitted, your application will be processed and you will receive a letter in the mail about Social Security’s decision. You can also apply by phone at 1-800772-1213. (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, or in person at your local Social Security office. You should call first to make an appointment.

Page 11

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Your Guide to Medicare

January 30, 2015

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