Hello Toni:
I don’t understand why I am paying more for my Part B premium. When I called Social Security, the agent told me that Part B was $104.90, but my letter says that based on me and my husband’s income, Part B for me will be $230.70. Now that I have retired, I don’t make what I did. What can I do if I do not think I should pay a higher Part B premium? Thanks in advance…Susan K from Spring, TX
Hi there, Susan:
Questions like this is the reason I wrote the Medicare Survival Guide because a person called Social Security and a Social Security agent’s advice was not accurate which caused a serious problem with his Medicare. This person had no idea what to do or how to navigate the maze of Medicare. The Medicare & You handbook is full of rules and if you happen to miss one of those rules it can affect you with penalties for the rest of your Medicare life.
Susan if your income is more than $85,000 for an individual or $170,000 for a couple, then your Part B premium will be higher than $104.90… I know how confusing it can be to talk with Social Security, but there is a way that you can appeal your Part B premium if you think it is not correct.
If you are being charged a higher Part B premium, and your current income is lower than what Social Security claims because you are no longer working full-time, you should go to your local Social Security office and show proof of your income.
Your income may have recently changed by a life changing event such as:
- you have gotten married or divorced, or your spouse has died;
- you or your spouse have stopped working or have reduced your hours;
- you have lost property that you were making money from due to a disaster or other event beyond your control; or
- you or your spouse’s benefits from an insured pension plan stopped or went down
For Social Security to change their records, you must show evidence that your income is lower. I would personally go to your local Social Security office and bring this evidence with form SSA-44 (you can request the form by phone or download it from the agency’s website http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-44.pdf). There are several documents you could show depending on why your income changed. For example:
- If you filed a tax return for the year in which the income-changing event took place, provide a signed copy of your tax return. If you have not yet filed a tax return, you can submit an estimate of the change in your income.
- If your marital status has changed, provide a marriage or death certificate.
- If your employment status has changed, provide a letter from your employer about your retirement.
- If you have lost income from a property, provide an insurance claim for property damage.
You must give the original or a certified copy documents with form SSA-44. Social Security should return your documents once they have been reviewed. If you go to the Social Security office in person, you should bring both your original documents and certified copies to leave with the Social Security officer.
If Social Security is satisfied with the evidence, it will update its records and correct your Part B premium payments to the earliest month in the current year that you had Part B. If Social Security is not satisfied with the evidence and denies your request to lower your Part B premium, you can appeal. I would talk with the Social Security agent on how to appeal if you need to.
Toni King, author of the Medicare Survival Guide which is on sale at www.tonisays.com. Toni is an advocate/consultant for those “Confused about Medicare”. Email questions to toni@tonisays.com or call 832/519-TONI (8664).
