Family
gatherings, holiday shopping and Medicare prescription drug plans
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[December 17, 2010]
When
you think of November, you may imagine such things as turkey
dinners, family gatherings, Veterans Day, or the start of the
holiday shopping season.
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But newly entitled and current
Medicare beneficiaries, who are considering changes to their
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan, might think of November as
the time for thinking about Medicare. That’s because the Medicare
Part D Prescription Drug Program Open Season this year runs from
November 15 to December 31.
Joining a Medicare
prescription drug plan is voluntary, and participants pay an
additional monthly premium for the coverage. Some people with
limited resources and income are eligible for Extra Help to
pay for monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription
co-payments. To qualify for this Extra Help:
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- You must reside in one
of the 50 states or the District of Columbia;
- Your resources must be
limited to $12,510 for an individual or $25,010 for a married
couple living together. Resources include such things as bank
accounts, stocks, and bonds. We do not count your house and car
as resources; and
- Your annual income
must be limited to $16,245 for an individual or $21,855 for a
married couple living together. Even if your annual income is
higher, you still may be able to get some help. Some examples
where your income may be higher are if you or your spouse:
- Support other
family members who live with you;
- Have earnings from
work; or
- Live in Alaska or
Hawaii.
And, as our celebrity
spokesperson Chubby Checker will tell you, a new “twist” in the law
makes it easier than ever to qualify. Social Security no longer
counts as a resource any life insurance policy. We also no longer
count as income the help you may receive when someone else provides
you with food and shelter, or someone else pays your household bills
for food, mortgage, rent, heating fuel or gas, electricity, water,
and property taxes.
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To apply for Extra Help,
complete the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug
Plan Costs (SSA-1020) online at
www.socialsecurity.gov/extrahelp.
You also can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Social
Security representatives can help you apply over the phone or mail
an application to your home. Or, visit your local Social Security
office.
To learn more about the
Medicare prescription drug plan, visit
www.medicare.gov
or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
By Judith Bartels
Social Security District
Manager in Springfield, IL
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