Social Security Error Means 250,000 Seniors Could Lose Medicare
Two hundred-fifty thousand seniors can’t be wrong. But apparently they can be wronged.
A quarter of a million seniors who get Medicare may soon receive letters. They’ll be asked to cough up to five months’ worth of premiums they thought they’d previously paid for. And the letters are legitimate.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) failed to deduct premiums from some seniors. And this led to some people losing their health coverage.
Social Security is calling it “a processing error.” Their mistake was made back in January.
Some Medicare Plans Cancelled
Unlike some things we get in the mail, this is not a hoax. They will be actual charges that recipients are required by law to uphold.
And that might not be the worst of it. Some seniors will learn that their health plans were cancelled due to the mistake.
Neither Medicare nor the SSA has explained how the error happened.
The Department of Health and Human Services has said who may be affected. It will be those who enrolled in either a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. If those plans began January 1.
2 Louisiana Women Lose Coverage
Vicki Dufrene is the director of the Louisiana Senior Health Coverage Information Program.
She said she’s aware of two seniors in her state who lost their drug coverage. Because their plans were cancelled as an outcome of the error.
One was a woman who has had the same plan for six years. She went all of May without coverage until being re-enrolled by Dufrene.
Something similar happened with a senior in Ohio who was dropped due to the error.
Old IT System Blamed
Some seniors have not noticed their checks were higher than usual. Or if they did notice, they might have assumed it was a living increase.
Either way, they had no idea they’d be seeing repercussions for what was not deducted. And they did not realize their plans might get cancelled.
Clients of a number of groups will be affected. Including Humana (33,000 members), UnitedHealthcare (32,000) and Aetna (43,000).
A spokesperson for Humana blamed Medicare. He said their out-of-date technology systems created the failure.
Groups Must Show Leniency
A Medicare spokesperson said that groups must give seniors at least two months to uphold the expenditures.
Or they must give a payment plan to seniors who are unable to cough up several months’ of fees all at once.
Medicare officials say the problem has been resolved. And that automatic deductions will begin again either this month or in July.
A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and their services had this to say. “(We are) working with Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to reach out to impacted enrollees.” But the damage has been done.
Politicians Get Involved
Medicare policy holders could use some assistance from politicians regarding this situation.
Richard Neal is a Democratic representative from Massachusetts. He chairs the Ways and Means Committee.
Neal and two of his colleagues wrote a letter in late May to both Medicare and Social Security regarding this problem.
Here’s how part of the letter reads. “For vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities living on budgets, getting a charge for several months of unpaid… premiums could lead to significant and potentially ongoing hardship.”
As of this writing, they have not gotten a response from Medicare. The response from Social Security referred most of the questions to Medicare officials.
Confusion Could Set In
Lindsey Copeland is a federal policy director for the Medicare Rights Center. It’s an advocacy group.
She said one of her concerns about this problem is that some seniors may think the letter they get is a hoax. And toss it in the garbage.
Or they may believe that even if it isn’t a hoax, it could be a mistake. That’s because they’ve assumed their Medicare payments were being automatically deducted.
“If you think your premiums are being deducted automatically and then your plan tells you six months later that wasn’t the case, you may be confused,” she said.
Has It Happened to You?
I’d love to know if any of you have been affected by this mess.
Did you get a letter you weren’t expecting for backed Medicare premiums? Or were you told your drug plan was cancelled due to the error? Let us know about your experience in the comment section below.
Or feel free to simply chime in with your opinion on this matter.
SSA took almost all of my income for one month back in 2018. They said thru a mistake they made! Seems they over paid me! I contacted them by phone, and talked to a gentleman named Will. He told me they mistakenly confiscated my monthly check, and he would see to it that I would be repaid. Well after about 1 month nothing happened. So I contacted them.Mysteriously no such Will worked there! A supervisor claimed no refund was due, and that I still might owe more. I got it! I just dropprd it. I did’nt want to rock the boat more. I had to suck it up. Their right hand does not know what their left hand is doing! Oh, by the way, it was 4 years after I retired. Thanks for listening, Eugene and Sunnie.
Thank God I have not received such letter from Medicare. Actually my Medicare went DOWN from 2004.
This is exactly why we really really don’t want the government involved in our health plans! Yes we paid for this benefit but there a lot of people who never paid a dime using our money and the government used part of this money for other purposes. This sucks!!!
Yes, I got a letter from Medicare before it accumulated to a lot. I paid the bill and thought it was fixed, but rec’d another bill for this month’s premium, which I will pay this week. Thanks for the explanation!
You’re welcome, Jimmie, and sorry you’re having to go through this.
If you read the notification from Social Security in January concerning the gross amount less the medicare premium deduction this would not happen. They advise you of the net payment monthly and when in january it will begin.
I have not received such a letter. But if I had , I wouldn’t be confused. I’d be mad as hell!!
The political jerks that allowed this to happen should be charged, NOT the
Seniors who worked hard for the PITIFUL SS check that they forced to
“LIVE ON!!!
Many, of whom must choose whether to eat, or pay for meds!! The politicians who make the laws. and oversee them should be FORCED TO survive on the same amount!!!
the people not can choice now ,it s the system its choice for people .
le sysreme profite des gens ordinaires
MISSING PAYMENTS TO MEDICARE ??
Remember the TRILLIONS of $\$\$$$$$$\$ which was discovered MISSSING at the Pentagon in the aftermath of 9/11 ????. …..When our GUY completely
DRAINS THE SWAMP, I betcha they will find it all in the bottom silt and mud ! Can’t wait to see the FIREWORKS DISPLAY
on JULY 4th !!!
WWGO ONE WE GO ALL ….COLLECTIVELY, WE CAN AND WILL MAGA !!!!