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A
valuable gift for mom
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[May 20, 2011]
Mother’s
Day is right around the corner. It’s always nice to give Mom a card,
flowers, and candy. But this year people all over the country are
helping their moms save nearly $4,000 a year on the cost of
prescription drugs. You can help your mom too — and it won’t cost
you a dime.
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The high cost of prescription
medication can be a burden on mothers (or anyone) who have limited
income and resources. But there is Extra Help — available
through Social Security — that could pay part of her monthly
premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. That
Extra Help is worth an average of almost $4,000 a year.
To figure out whether your mother
is eligible, Social Security needs to know her income and the value
of her savings, investments, and real estate (other than the home
she lives in). To qualify for the Extra Help, she must be
enrolled in Medicare and have:
- Income limited to
$16,335 for an individual or $22,065 for a married couple living
together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be
able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles,
and prescription co-payments. Some examples where income may be
higher include if she or her spouse:
—Support other family
members who live with them;
—Have earnings from
work; or
—Live in Alaska or
Hawaii; and
- Resources limited to
$12,640 for an individual or $25,260 for a married couple living
together. Resources include such things as bank accounts,
stocks, and bonds. We do not count her house and car as
resources.
Social Security has an
easy-to-use online application that you can help complete for your
mom. You can find it at
www.socialsecurity.gov.
Just select the link on the left of the page that says, “Get extra
help with Medicare prescription drug costs.” To apply by phone or
have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at
1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application
for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020).
Or go to the nearest Social Security office.
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To learn more about the
Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods,
visit
www.medicare.gov
or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
So this Mother’s Day, give
your mom a gift she can really use year-round — a savings of up to
$4,000 a year on her prescription drugs. Flowers whither and candy
is consumed, but the Extra Help through Social Security will
keep on giving throughout the year.
By Judith Bartels
Social Security District
Manager in Springfield, IL
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