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Set sights on prescription drug plan best for you By GERALD NELSON Waterloo Social Security Manager
Hunting season is open. But rather than hunting f or game, we recommend setting your sights for the Part D Medicare prescription drug plan that’s best for you. You’ll have more time than usual this y ear, because open s eason is lasting longer than usual. If you currently are enrolled in Medicare and ar e considering changes to your Medicare Part D plan, act now. The “open season” runs thr ough Dec. 7. The Medicare Part D prescription drug pr ogram is a vailable to all M edicare beneficiaries to help with the c ost of medic ations. Joining a M edicare prescription drug plan is voluntary, and participants pay an additional monthly premium for the coverage. While all M edicare beneficiaries can participate in the prescription drug pr ogram, some people with limited income and resources also are eligible for Extra Help to pay for monthly premiums, annual deductibles , and prescription co-payments. The Extra Help is estimat ed to be worth about $4,000 per year. Many people qualif y for these big savings and don’t even know it. To figure out w hether you are eligible for the Extra Help,
Social Security needs t o know your income and the v alue of any savings, investments, and real estate (other than the home you live in). To qualify, you must be receiving Medicare and have: ■ Income limited to $16,755 for an individual or $22,695 for a married couple living together. Even if your annual income is higher, you still ma y be able t o get some help with monthl y
house or car as resources. You can complete an easyto-use online applic ation for Extra Help at www.socialsecurity.gov. Click on M edicare on the top right side of the p age. Then click on “Get Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan C osts.” To apply by phone or ha ve an applic ation mailed to you, call Social Security at (800) 772 -1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778) and ask for the Application for Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020) . Or g o to your nearest Social Security office . And if you would like more information about the M edicare Part D pr escription drug program, visit www .medicare. gov or call (800) 633-4227 (TTY (877) 486-2048). So this open season, hunt for something that c ould put an extra $4,000 in y our pocket — bag the best Medicare prescripSHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO tion drug plan for you and see if you qualify for the Extra Help premiums, annual deductibles , Resources include such thing s through Social Security. That’s and prescription co-payments. as bank accounts, stocks, and a trophy worth displaying in Some examples where your bonds. We do not c ount your your den. income may be higher include if you or your spouse: ❏ Support other family members who live with you. ❏ Have earnings from work ❏ Live in Alaska or Hawaii. ■ Resources limited to $13,070 for an individual or $26,120 for a married couple living together.
Expect 1.7 percent benefit increase in 2013 Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration has announced. The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million S SI beneficiaries will begin on Dec. 31, 2012.
Some other changes that take effect in J anuary of e ach year are based on the incr ease in average wages. Bas ed on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $113,700 from $110,100. Of the estimat ed 163 million workers who will p ay Social Security taxes in 201 3, nearly 10 million will pay higher taxes as a r esult of the incr ease in the taxable maximum.
Information about M edicare changes for 2013, when announced, will be a vailable at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or c ompletely offset by increases in M edicare premiums. The Social Security Act provides for how the C OLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012
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Your Social Security is a gift to yourself By GERALD NELSON Waterloo Social Security Manager
It’s very likely that during the holiday season you’ve been spending a bit of time and mone y getting gifts for everyone on y our shopping list. Why not t ake a moment and gi ve yourself a holida y gift? W e have a suggestion, and w hile it w on’t cost you a penn y, it c ould be one of the best (and easiest) ďŹ nancial steps you ever take for your future. Give yourself the gift of your own Social Security Statement. You can get yours online at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement. The online S ocial Security Statement is simple, easy to use, and provides estimates you can use to plan for your retirement. It also provides estimates for disability and survivors beneďŹ ts, making the St atement an important ďŹ nancial planning tool. Your statement also allows you
to determine whether your earnings are accurately posted to your Social Security records. This feature is important because Social Security beneďŹ ts are based on average earnings over your lifetime. To get a personalized online Statement, you must be ag e 18 or older and must be able t o provide information about yourself that matches information already on ďŹ le with Social Security. In addition, Social Security uses Experian, an e xternal authentication service provider, for further v eriďŹ cation. You must provide identifying information and answer security questions in order to pass this veriďŹ cation. Social Security will not shar e your Social Security number with Experian, but the identity check is an import ant part of this ne w, thorough veriďŹ cation process. When your identity is veriďŹ ed, you can create a “My Social Securityâ€?
account with a unique us er name and password to access your online statement. In addition, your online St atement includes links to information about other online Social Security services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare. This holiday season, it’s likely you’ll be he aring some of your friends and family saying “you shouldn’t haveâ€? as they receive their gifts from you. That’s something to look forward to. But be sure that you don’t ďŹ nd yourself saying “I should haveâ€? when it c omes to planning your own ďŹ nancial future. Get y our online Social Security Statement and look it o ver. Do it again next year. It may be the best gift y ou can give to yourself in the long run. Your free gift is waiting at www. socialsecurity.gov/mystatement.
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Did you know … ■ Social Security’s motto is Social Security Benefits America. ■ From 1937 (when the first payments were made) through 2009 the Social Security program has paid $11,300,000,000,000.00 ($11.3 trillion) in benefits. ■ Social Security’s vision is to provide the highest standard of considerate and thoughtful service for generations to come. ■ The Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) administrative budget request to Congress is $11.760 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2013. It is about 1.5% of the Agency’s total benefit payment outlays. ■ Social Security maintains nearly 1300 community-based field offices across the country. ■ Social Security is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. ■ As of February 2012, SSA employs 64,000 permanent workers ■ About 159 million workers pay Social Security taxes with 94 percent of all workers cove red or eligible for coverage under Social Security ■ Social Security’s mission is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public. ■ As of December 2011, there are 55.4 million beneficiaries receiving $62.2 billion in payments Source: Social Security
Social Security office hours Effective Nov. 19, Waterloo and Decorah Social Security office hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, a 30-minute reduction each weekday. Starting Jan. 2, the offices will close at noon each Wednesday. Agency employees will use the time to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims without overtime. Reduced funding provided by Congress for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide overtime. On Nov. 23, all field offices will be closed to the public; employees will work to reduce backlogged workloads. Many services can be obtained at www.socialsecurity.gov or (800) 772-1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, (800) 325-0778. Many online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.
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Be wary of scams
These days, everyone needs to be cautious of s cams — Int ernet, mail, and even phone scams — which can damage your credit score and pocketbook. Any time someone asks for your personal information, you should be wary. Recently, Social Security became aware of two scams targeting beneficiaries. The fi rst was in Kansas about the Affordable Care Act. Scammers telephoned beneficiaries to tell them they had their new health insurance card ready to mail out, but needed bank account numbers. The second scam involved utility customers. Scammers tell customers that they are eligible for a $1500 credit or payment from the government. Again, the scammer is trying to get Social Security number and bank account information. As a rule of thumb, Social Security will not call you for your personal information such as y our Social Security number or b anking information. If someone contacts you and asks for this kind of information, do not give it. You should ne ver provide your Social Security number or other personal information over the telephone unless you initiated the
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contact, or are confident of the person to whom you are speaking. If in doubt, do not r elease information without fi rst verifying the validity of the call by contacting the loc al Social Security office or Social Security’s toll-free number at (800) 772 -1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Another way to protect yourself is to keep your Social Security card and other import ant documents locked away in a safe place. Do not give personal information to just anyone. Also, check your Social Security earnings record. You can request a
Social Security Statement online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ statement. When y ou review your statement, you can verify the ac curacy of the r eported earnings and request correction if necessary. If you’ve fallen victim to fraud or identity theft, be sur e to file a report with the loc al police or the police department where the identity theft took place, and keep a c opy of the polic e report as proof of the crime. Information on how to prevent scams and protect yourself can be f ound at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. You can
also read Social Security’s publication, Identify Theft And Y our Social Security Number, available online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html and Your Social Security Number and Card, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10002.html. Be alert w hen dealing with people who want your personal information, such as y our bank account number, date of birth, and Social Security number. By using a little c aution, you can protect yourself from scams. Learn more about Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov.
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SSI marks 40 years of helping people arrangements, and your income. Some states add mone y to the federal payment. Funding for the S SI program comes from the general revenues of the U .S. Treasury, not fr om Social Security payroll taxes.
By GERALD NELSON Social Security Manager/Waterloo
Cedar Falls Community Theatre Presents:
White CHRISTMAS
November 30, December 1, 2 & 7, 8, 9 SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or national. In rare cases, noncitizen residents can qualify for SSI. If you live in certain types of institutions or live in a shelter for the homeless, you may qualify for SSI. People with blindness or a disability who apply for SSI may be able to get free special services to
help them work. These services may include c ounseling and j ob training. The monthly maximum federal SSI payment is the same nationwide and amounts to $698 for an individual and $1,048 for a couple. However, the amount y ou receive depends on f actors such as where you live, your living
Speed up your disability application ■ The nature of your disability. ■ How quickly we obtain medical evidence from your doctor and other medical sources. ■ Whether we need t o send you for a medical examination in order to obtain evidence to support your claim. There are things you can do to help speed up the pr ocess. The more information you provide up front, the les s time it will take us t o obtain the e vidence we need — and the f aster your claim may be processed. We also ask you to sign release forms that gi ve us permis sion to obtain the information need-
ed from third parties to make a decision on your claim. You can apply online for disability benefits (the e asiest method) , or y ou can make an appointment by phone or in a Social Security office. The choice is y ours. (For Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, you cannot apply online, but y ou still c an complete the Dis ability Report to prepare for the interview and speed-up the processing time.) Visit www.socialsecurity. gov/disability. Source: Social Security Administration
(319) 277-5283 www.osterregent.org
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If your disabling condition is preventing you from continuing to work, you may want to apply for disability benefits through Social Security. In mo st cases, doing so involves a thor ough process of det ermining your eligibility, medical condition and ability to work. Because we look carefully at so many cases — more than three million each year — it can take us three to five months to determine whether you are eligible. Processing times on that initial claim c an vary depending on several factors, but primar ily on:
As fresh as a new snowfall, this delightful musical tells the story of a unique friendship, passionate relationships and all the complications along the way. The Christmas spirit will be abundant – with the singing of the Director: Liane Nichols traditional, well loved Vocal Director: Mary Citta song, “White Christmas.” Conductor: Steve Citta Dancing, romance and Choreographer: Deb Tuzicka laughter will keep the whole family feeling merry and bright the entire show!
WT IM E
The Social Security Amendments of 1 972 created a ne w federal benefit program. This month, that pr ogram — the Supplemental Security Income program — celebrates its 40th anniversary. Administered by Social Security, SSI is a needs-based program for people 6 5 or older , blind, or disabled who have limited income and resources. For income, we count things such as w ages, Social Security benefits, and pensions. However, Social Security does not count all of your income when it decides whether you qualify for SSI. For example, we don’t count food stamps or mo st home ener gy assistance. For resources, we count the things you own, such as real estate (other than the home y ou live in) , bank accounts, cash, stocks, and bonds. A person with resources worth no mor e than $2,000 may be able t o get SSI. The resource limit is $3,000 for couples. To qualify for SSI, you also must live in the U nited States or the
To learn more about S SI, read the online publication, You May Be Able To Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at www . socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11069. html or visit the S SI page at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi.
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Countdown is on for switch to electronic payments If you apply for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits, you must receive your payments electronically. If y ou did not sign up f or electronic payments when you applied f or benefits, we strongly urge you to do it now. You must switch to electronic payments by March 1, 2013. If y ou do not, the U .S. Department of the T reasury may send your benefits via the Dir ect Express® card program to avoid an interruption in payment. Why the push f or electronic payments? ■ Safety. There is no risk of lo st or stolen checks. When r eported promptly, your money is protected, even if your Direct Express® card is lost or stolen.
■ Ease. Your money is automatically posted to your financial account or to your Direct Express card account on y our payment day each month. You won’t have to wait for the mail to arrive. ■ Convenience. No need to make a trip to cash or depo sit a check. With Direct Express®, make purchases anywhere debit Mast erCard is ac cepted. Use your card to get cash at retail locations, banks and ATMs throughout the country. As of March 2011, 85 percent of all Social Security and SSI beneficiaries received their benefi ts by direct deposit. If you are currently getting a paper check, you do have three payment options.
Direct deposit
Direct deposit is a simple, safe and secure way to receive your benefits. If y ou wish to direct your benefits into a bank or credit union account, you should ha ve the following information when you contact Social Security: ■ Financial institution’s routing transit number. ■ Account type (checking or savings). ■ Account number.
Direct Express card program
The Direct Express card is a debit card you can use to access your benefits. You don’t need a b ank account. With the Dir ect Express card program, we deposit your feder-
Compassionate allowances available for those with serious medical conditions Social Security has an oblig ation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. Compassionate Allowances are a w ay of quickl y identifying diseases and other medic al conditions that in variably qualify under the Listing of Imp airments based on minimal objective medical information. Compassionate Allowances allow Social Security to target the mo st obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly. Compassionate Allowances is not a separate program from the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs. CAL conditions are developed as a result of information received at public outreach hearings, comments received from the S ocial Security and Dis ability Determination Service communities, counsel of medic al and s cientific experts, and our r esearch with the National Institutes of Health.
al benefit payment directly into your card account. Your monthly benefits will be a vailable on your payment day — on time, every time. You can use the card to make purchases, pay bills or g et cash at thousands of locations. In addition, most transactions are free. The Direct Express card is both safer and mor e convenient than paper checks. Anyone receiving Social Security or Supplement al Security Income payments can enroll. No more waiting for the mail or worrying about lost or stolen checks. To sign up f or a Dir ect Express Debit MasterCard card account or for more information visit www. GoDirect.org or c all the t oll-free
Direct Express hotline at (877) 212-9991.
Electronic Transfer Account
An Electronic Transfer Account is a lo w-cost federally insured account that let s you enjoy the safety, security and c onvenience of automatic payments. This account costs no more than $3 per month, and y ou get at le ast four free cash withdrawals per month. You can contact us or visit the website at www.eta-find.gov to get information about this pr ogram, or t o find a b ank, savings and loan or credit union near you offering this account. Learn more by reading our online fact shee at www .socialsecurity. gov/pubs/10073.html.
Find all your latest news in
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Medicare Questions? Make the Right Call:
319.272.2250 Also, we considered which conditions are most likely to meet our current definition of disability. Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue has held s even Compassionate Allowances public outreach hearings. The he arings were on rare diseases, cancers, traumatic brain injury and stroke, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease and multiple or gan transplants and autoimmune diseases. In April, Commissioner Astrue
announced at the W orld Orphan Drug Congress 52 ne w Compassionate Allowances conditions, taking the list of c onditions from 113 to 165. These conditions involve cancers, neurological, and immune system disorders affecting adults and chi ldren. These new conditions became part of the Compassionate Allowances process on August 11, 2012. For more information on the Compassionate Allowances initiative,pleasevisit www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
Talk to a SHIIP trained local RSVP volunteer. free, confidential, objective www.THERIGHTCALLIOWA.GOV SHIIP is a free service of the State of Iowa that offers information for Iowans on Medicare. RSVP is sponsored locally by Covenant Medical Center.
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Social Security serves those who serve America Operation Iraqi Freedom Home,” information on sur vivors benefits, the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes, a fact sheet on veterans benefits and the Veterans On-Line Application, known as VONAPP. To learn more about S ocial Security for people w ho have SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
will evaluate your work activity to determine your eligibility for benefits. You cannot receive Social Security disability benefits if you engage in sub stantial work for pay or profit. However, the actual work activity is the c ontrolling factor and not the amount of p ay you receive or your military duty status. You can speed the decision on your application for benefits by being prepared for your interview. We can take prompt action on your claim if you: Let us kno w right a way that your disability occurred while on active military duty; Have information available regarding all the doctors you have seen and the addr ess of the mili-
tary site where your records are kept; Notify us of any address changes you have while we are working on your claim; and Inform us about any changes in doctors, hospitals, or outp atient clinics where you are receiving treatment. After we receive your application for Social Security disability benefits, we will identify it as a military service member claim and expedite it through all phases of pr ocessing, both at S ocial Security and the Disability Determination Service. We also expedite disability claims filed online. You will also find links to useful Veterans Affairs websites. There are links to information about the “Operation Enduring F reedom/
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Military service members receive quicker processing of their disability applications from Social Security. Under an agreement started by Social Security, the Department of Defense sends information that allo ws us t o quickly identify military personnel injured in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The expedited process is available for any military service member who becomes disabled during active duty on or aft er Oct. 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs. Depending on the situation, some family members of military personnel may also be able t o receive benefits, including dependent children and spouses. Social Security pays disability benefits through two programs: the S ocial Security disability insurance program, which pays benefits to you and c ertain members of y our family if y ou are “insured,” meaning that you worked long enough and p aid Social Security taxes; and the Supplemental Security Income program, which pays benefits based on financial need. If you, or someone you know, has been w ounded while on active duty in the milit ary, visit our w ebsite to find out what Social Security can do for you: www.socialsecurity.gov/ woundedwarriors. There, you will find answers to a number of commonly asked questions, as well as useful information about disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income, and fact sheets, Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors and Expediting Disability Applications for Wounded Warriors. Remember, active duty status and receipt of military pay does not, in itself, necessarily prevent payment of S ocial Security disability benefits. Receipt of military payments should never stop you from applying for disability benefits from Social Security. If you are receiving treatment at a military medical facility and working in a designat ed therapy program or on limit ed duty, we
served in the military, read a copy of our public ation, Military Service and Social Security. You can find it online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/, or call us at (800) 772-1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778) to ask us to mail a free copy to you. Source: Social Security Administration
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